2 Peter · Revised Version with Apocrypha
2 Peter 3 Revised Version with Apocrypha
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 This is now, beloved, the second epistle that I write unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance;
1 Ταύτην ἤδη, ἀγαπητοί, δευτέραν ὑμῖν γράφω ἐπιστολήν, ἐν αἷς διεγείρω ὑμῶν ἐν ὑπομνήσει τὴν εἰλικρινῆ διάνοιαν,
2 that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles:
2 μνησθῆναι τῶν προειρημένων ῥημάτων ὑπὸ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων ὑμῶν ἐντολῆς τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος,
3 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts,
3 τοῦτο πρῶτον γινώσκοντες, ὅτι ἐλεύσονται ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐμπαῖκται, κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν πορευόμενοι
4 and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
4 καὶ λέγοντες· ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ; ἀφ᾽ ἧς γὰρ οἱ πατέρες ἐκοιμήθησαν, πάντα οὕτω διαμένει ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως.
5 For this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God;
5 λανθάνει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοῦτο θέλοντας ὅτι οὐρανοὶ ἦσαν ἔκπαλαι καὶ γῆ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ δι᾽ ὕδατος συνεστῶσα τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγῳ,
6 by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
6 δι᾽ ὧν ὁ τότε κόσμος ὕδατι κατακλυσθεὶς ἀπώλετο·
7 but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
7 οἱ δὲ νῦν οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ τῷ αὐτοῦ λόγῳ τεθησαυρισμένοι εἰσὶ πυρὶ τηρούμενοι εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως καὶ ἀπωλείας τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνθρώπων.
8 But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
8 Ἓν δὲ τοῦτο μὴ λανθανέτω ὑμᾶς, ἀγαπητοί, ὅτι μία ἡμέρα παρὰ Κυρίῳ ὡς χίλια ἔτη, καὶ χίλια ἔτη ὡς ἡμέρα μία.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
9 οὐ βραδύνει ὁ Κύριος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ὥς τινες βραδυτῆτα ἡγοῦνται, ἀλλὰ μακροθυμεῖ εἰς ἡμᾶς, μὴ βουλόμενός τινας ἀπολέσθαι, ἀλλὰ πάντας εἰς μετάνοιαν χωρῆσαι.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
10 Ἥξει δὲ ἡ ἡμέρα Κυρίου ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτί, ἐν ᾗ οὐρανοὶ ῥοιζηδὸν παρελεύσονται, στοιχεῖα δὲ καυσούμενα λυθήσονται, καὶ γῆ καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ ἔργα κατακαήσεται.
11 Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in [all ]holy living and godliness,
11 Τούτων οὖν πάντων λυομένων ποταποὺς δεῖ ὑπάρχειν ὑμᾶς ἐν ἁγίαις ἀναστροφαῖς καὶ εὐσεβείαις,
12 looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
12 προσδοκῶντας καὶ σπεύδοντας τὴν παρουσίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμέρας, δι᾽ ἣν οὐρανοὶ πυρούμενοι λυθήσονται καὶ στοιχεῖα καυσούμενα τήκεται!
13 But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
13 καινοὺς δὲ οὐρανοὺς καὶ γῆν καινὴν κατὰ τὸ ἐπάγγελμα αὐτοῦ προσδοκῶμεν, ἐν οἷς δικαιοσύνη κατοικεῖ.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight.
14 Διό, ἀγαπητοί, ταῦτα προσδοκῶντες σπουδάσατε ἄσπιλοι καὶ ἀμώμητοι αὐτῷ εὑρεθῆναι ἐν εἰρήνῃ,
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you;
15 καὶ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν μακροθυμίαν σωτηρίαν ἡγεῖσθε, καθὼς καὶ ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἡμῶν ἀδελφὸς Παῦλος κατὰ τὴν αὐτῷ δοθεῖσαν σοφίαν ἔγραψεν ὑμῖν,
16 as also in all [his ]epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as [they do ]also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
16 ὡς καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς λαλῶν ἐν αὐταῖς περὶ τούτων, ἐν οἷς ἐστι δυσνόητά τινα, ἃ οἱ ἀμαθεῖς καὶ ἀστήρικτοι στρεβλοῦσιν ὡς καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς γραφὰς πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτῶν ἀπώλειαν.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, knowing [these things ]beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.
17 Ὑμεῖς οὖν, ἀγαπητοί, προγινώσκοντες φυλάσσεσθε, ἵνα μὴ τῇ τῶν ἀθέσμων πλάνῃ συναπαχθέντες ἐκπέσητε τοῦ ἰδίου στηριγμοῦ,
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be ]the glory both now and for ever. Amen.
18 αὐξάνετε δὲ ἐν χάριτι καὶ γνώσει τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος· ἀμήν.
Cross references (18)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Timothy 1:6; 2 Peter 1:12–15; 1 Peter 1:1–2; Matthew 5:8; Psalm 73:1
- 2 Jude 17; Luke 1:70; 2 Peter 2:21; Luke 24:44; 2 Peter 1:19–21
- 3 Jude 18; 1 Timothy 4:1–2; 2 Peter 2:10; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Jude 16
- 4 Jeremiah 17:15; Malachi 2:17; Jeremiah 5:12–13; Luke 12:45; Isaiah 5:18–19
- 5 Hebrews 11:3; Psalm 24:2; Genesis 1:9; Genesis 1:6; Psalm 136:6
- 6 Matthew 24:38–39; 2 Peter 2:5; Luke 17:27; Genesis 7:10–23; Job 12:15
- 7 2 Peter 3:10; Isaiah 51:6; 2 Peter 3:12; Revelation 21:1; Matthew 24:35
- 8 Psalm 90:4
- 9 1 Timothy 2:4; Romans 2:4; Habakkuk 2:3; Psalm 86:15; Isaiah 30:18
- 10 Revelation 21:1; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:7; Revelation 16:15; Isaiah 51:6
- 11 1 Peter 1:15; Philippians 1:27; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Peter 3:12
- 12 2 Peter 3:10; Isaiah 34:4; Micah 1:4; Titus 2:13; Psalm 50:3
- 13 Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:1; Isaiah 66:22; Revelation 21:27; Isaiah 60:21
- 14 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Philippians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 John 3:3
- 15 Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 1:16; 1 Peter 3:20; James 3:17
- 16 Matthew 15:6; Hebrews 5:11; James 1:8; 2 Peter 2:14; Philippians 3:19
- 17 Hebrews 3:14; Colossians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 11:13–15; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 Corinthians 10:12
- 18 Colossians 1:10; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Peter 2:2; Colossians 3:10; Philippians 3:8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And there are some, again, who relegate the death of Adam to the thousandth year; for since "a day of the Lord is as a thousand years," he did not overstep the thousand years, but died within them, thus bearing out the sentence of his sin.
… and was on account of his great sin dismissed from the blessedness of paradise into the woes of this mortal life, so that thus, as it is written, "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day," there should follow on the completion of six thousand years, as of six days, a …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days created things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the sixth thousand year.
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." There is nothing said here about the resurrection of the dead, but enough certainly regarding the destruction of this world.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… it is sufficiently obvious what part of the world is signified by the whole, and in what sense the word perished is to be taken, and what heavens were kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. And when he says a little afterwards, "The day of the Lord will come as …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)