Približava se Dan Gospodnji
1Ovo je, voljena braćo, drugo pismo koje vam pišem. U oba vas opominjem da budete budni i zdrava razuma. 2Prisjetite se davnih proročanstava svetih proroka i zapovijedi koje vam je vaš Gospodin i Spasitelj dao preko svojih apostola.
3Ponajprije želim da znate da će na koncu vremena biti izrugivača koji će se podsmjehivati istini 4i govoriti: “Nije li Isus obećao ponovno doći? Pa gdje je onda? Jer otkako su pomrli naši preci, baš se ništa nije promijenilo—još od početka svijeta.” 5Oni hotimično zaboravljaju da je Bog odavno stvorio nebesa svojom Riječju. Riječju je izdvojio zemlju iz voda, stvorio suho kopno iz vode. 6Zatim je ondašnji svijet potopio vodom. 7A za sadašnja nebesa i zemlju zapovjedio je da budu uništeni ognjem na Dan suda, kad će bezbožnici biti uništeni.
8Ali ne zaboravite, dragi moji, da je Gospodinu jedan dan kao tisuću godina, a tisuću godina kao jedan dan. 9Ne kasni Gospodin ispuniti obećanje o svojemu dolasku, kao što neki smatraju, nego zbog vas strpljivo čeka jer ne želi da tko propadne, već da se svi obrate. 10Ali Dan Gospodnji doći će neočekivano, kao tat. U taj će dan nebesa iščeznuti s velikom tutnjavom, počela će se rastopiti u ognju, a zemlji i svemu na njoj bit će suđeno.
11Sve će se to tako raspasti. Kako vam onda sveto valja živjeti! 12Trebate iščekivati i pospješivati dolazak Božjega dana kad će se nebesa i nebeska tijela rastaliti u ognju. 13Ali iščekujemo, prema Božjemu obećanju, nova nebesa i novu zemlju, gdje će vladati pravednost.
14Braćo voljena, dok čekate da se sve to dogodi, trudite se živjeti neokaljano i besprijekorno, u miru s Bogom. 15I znajte da Gospodin strpljivo čeka kako bi ljudima dao vremena da se spase. To vam je napisao i dragi brat Pavao, po mudrosti koju mu je Bog dao, 16u svim pismima u kojima o tomu govori. U njima ima teško razumljivih riječi koje neupućeni i nepostojani ljudi izvrću—kao i druge dijelove Svetoga pisma—na vlastitu propast.
Posljednje Petrove upute
17Unaprijed vas dakle upozoravam, ljubljena braćo, da zavedeni zabludom tih opakih ljudi ne izgubite postojanost. 18Rastite u milosti i spoznaji našega Gospodina i Spasitelja Isusa Krista.
Njemu neka je slava sada i zauvijek. Amen.
The Day of the Lord
1Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
3Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.3:10 Some manuscripts be burned up
11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.3:12 Or as you wait eagerly for the day of God to come That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
