The Lord Will Return
1 My dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to encourage you to do some honest thinking. I don't want you to forget 2 what God's prophets said would happen. You must never forget what the holy prophets taught in the past. And you must remember what the apostles told you our Lord and Savior has commanded us to do.
3 But first you must realize that in the last days some people won't think about anything except their own selfish desires. They will make fun of you 4 and say, “Didn't your Lord promise to come back? Yet the first leaders have already died, and the world hasn't changed a bit.”
5 They will say this because they want to forget that long ago the heavens and the earth were made at God's command. The earth came out of water and was made from water. 6 Later it was destroyed by the waters of a mighty flood. 7 But God has commanded the present heavens and earth to remain until the day of judgment. Then they will be set on fire, and ungodly people will be destroyed.
8 Dear friends, don't forget that for the Lord one day is the same as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years is the same as one day. 9 The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.
10 The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are.
11 Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honor God by the way you live. 12 You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon. On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. 13 But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to this!
14 My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace. 15 Don't forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom God had given him. 16 Paul talks about these same things in all his letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said. They do the same thing with other Scriptures too.
17 My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don't let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. 18 Let the gift of undeserved grace and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.
Kunga atnākšanas apsolījums
1 Mīļotie, es rakstu jums jau otro vēstuli, abās ar atgādinājumiem turēt nomodā jūsu skaidro prātu, 2 lai jūs atceraties sen sacītos svēto praviešu vārdus un Kunga un Glābēja bausli, ko jums nodeva jūsu apustuļi. 3 Vispirms saprotiet to, ka pēdējās dienās nāks tādi, kas dzīvo savās iekārēs un, ņirdzīgi ņirgādamies, 4 teiks: kur paliek apsolījums par viņa atnākšanu? Kopš sentēvi ir aizmiguši mierā, viss paliek tāpat kā no radības iesākuma. – 5 Viņi tīšuprāt aizmirst, ka Dieva vārda spēkā jau kopš senatnes pastāv debesis un zeme no ūdens un caur ūdeni. 6 Caur to pasaule reiz ūdensplūdos gāja bojā, 7 bet tagadējās debesis un zemi tas pats vārds uztur un saglabā ugunij bezdievīgo cilvēku pazudināšanai tiesas dienā. 8 Lai jums, brāļi, nepaliek apslēpts tas, ka Kungam viena diena ir kā tūkstoš gadu un tūkstoš gadu kā viena diena. 9 Kungs nevilcina savu apsolījumu, kā daži domā, bet pacietīgi gaida uz mums, jo viņš negrib, ka kādi ietu pazušanā, bet grib, ka visi grēku nožēlā atgriežas. 10 Kunga diena nāks kā zaglis, tanī debesis ar lielu troksni izgaisīs, pasaules elementi sadegdami izjuks, un zemi un visu, kas uz tās, Dievs piemeklēs. 11 Ja reiz viss tā ies bojā, kādiem gan jums vajadzētu būt svētā dzīvošanā un dievbijībā, 12 gaidot un steidzinot Dieva dienas atnākšanu, kad debesis ugunīs izjuks un pasaules elementi uguns kvēlē izkusīs. 13 Bet pēc viņa apsolījuma mēs gaidām jaunas debesis un jaunu zemi, kur taisnība mājo. 14 Tādēļ, mīļotie, to visu gaidīdami, pūlieties, lai Dievs jūs atrod neaptraipītus, bezvainīgus un miera pilnus! 15 Mūsu Kunga pacietīgo gaidīšanu uz mums uzskatiet par mūsu glābšanu, kā jums jau rakstīja mūsu mīļotais brālis Pāvils pēc viņam dotās gudrības. 16 Kā visās savās vēstulēs, viņš tajā runā par lietām, kas grūti saprotamas un ko nemācītie un svārstīgie sagroza sev par pazušanu, tāpat kā viņi to dara ar pārējiem rakstiem. 17 Tad nu jūs, mīļotie, to iepriekš zinādami, sargieties, lai nekrietnie ar maldināšanu jūs neaizvilina sev līdzi un jūs nezaudētu savu stingrību! 18 Audziet mūsu Kunga un Glābēja, Jēzus Kristus, žēlastībā un atziņā! Viņam lai slava tagad un mūžības dienā! Āmen!
