The Day of the Lord
1Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders. I want to encourage you to think in a way that is pure. 2I want you to remember the words the holy prophets spoke in the past. Remember the command our Lord and Savior gave through your apostles.
3Most of all, here is what you must understand. In the last days people will make fun of the truth. They will laugh at it. They will follow their own evil desires. 4They will say, “Where is this ‘return’ he promised? Everything goes on in the same way it has since our people of long ago died. In fact, it has continued this way since God first created everything.” 5Long ago, God’s word brought the heavens into being. His word separated the earth from the waters. And the waters surrounded it. But these people forget things like that on purpose. 6The waters also flooded the world of that time. And so they destroyed the world. 7By God’s word the heavens and earth of today are being reserved for fire. They are being kept for the day when God will judge. Then ungodly people will be destroyed.
8Dear friends, here is one thing you must not forget. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. Instead, he is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.
10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar. Fire will destroy everything in them. God will judge the earth and everything done in it.
11So everything will be destroyed in this way. And what kind of people should you be? You should lead holy and godly lives. 12Live like this as you look forward to the day of God. Living like this will make the day come more quickly. On that day fire will destroy the heavens. Its heat will melt everything in them. 13But we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth. Godliness will live there. All this is in keeping with God’s promise.
14Dear friends, I know you are looking forward to this. So try your best to be found pure and without blame. Be at peace with God. 15Remember that while our Lord is waiting patiently to return, people are being saved. Our dear brother Paul also wrote to you about this. God made him wise to write as he did. 16Paul writes the same way in all his letters. He speaks about what I have just told you. His letters include some things that are hard to understand. People who don’t know better and aren’t firm in the faith twist what he says. They twist the other Scriptures too. So they will be destroyed.
17Dear friends, you have already been warned about this. So be on your guard. Then you won’t be led astray by people who don’t obey the law. Instead, you will remain safe. 18Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Glory belongs to him both now and forever. Amen.
Mũthenya wa Mwathani
13:1 1Akor 10:14; 2Pet 1:13 Arata akwa nyendete mũno, maya nĩ marũa makwa ma keerĩ kũrĩ inyuĩ. Na thĩinĩ wamo meerĩ ndĩmaandĩkĩte marĩ ma kũmũririkania mwarahũke mũgĩe na meciiria marĩa magĩrĩru. 23:2 Luk 1:70; Atũm 3:21 Nĩngwenda mũririkane ciugo iria ciaririo tene nĩ anabii arĩa atheru na watho ũrĩa waheanirwo nĩ Mwathani na Mũhonokia witũ na mũgĩkinyĩrio nĩ atũmwo anyu.
33:3 1Tim 4:1; 2Pet 2:10 Mbere ya maũndũ mothe, no nginya mũmenye atĩ matukũ ma kũrigĩrĩria nĩgũgooka anyũrũrania, manyũrũranagie na marũmagĩrĩre merirĩria mao mooru. 43:4 Isa 5:19; Ezek 12:22 Nĩmakooranagia atĩrĩ, “Gũũka gwake kũrĩa eeranĩire gũgaakinya-rĩ? Kuuma rĩrĩa maithe maitũ maakuire, maũndũ mothe mathiiaga na mbere o ta ũrĩa maatariĩ kuuma rĩrĩa thĩ yombirwo.” 53:5 Kĩam 1:6, 9; Thab 24:2 No nĩmeriganĩirie o na makĩmenyaga atĩ o tene, nĩ ũndũ wa kiugo kĩa Ngai, kũũrĩa igũrũ nĩ kwagĩire, nayo thĩ ĩkĩũmbwo na maaĩ kuuma kũrĩ maaĩ. 63:6 2Pet 2:5Ningĩ maaĩ o macio no mo maarindanirie thĩ ya ihinda rĩu, na makĩmĩananga. 73:7 2Pet 3:10, 12; 2Athe 1:7 Ningĩ nĩ ũndũ wa kiugo o ro kĩu, igũrũ na thĩ iria irĩ ho rĩu nĩciigĩirwo mwaki, igetererio mũthenya wa ciira, o na wa kwanangwo kwa andũ arĩa matetĩkĩtie Ngai.
83:8 Thab 90:4No rĩrĩ, arata akwa nyendete mũno, mũtikariganĩrwo nĩ ũndũ ũyũ ũmwe, atĩ kũrĩ Mwathani mũthenya ũmwe no ta mĩaka ngiri, na mĩaka ngiri no ta mũthenya ũmwe. 93:9 1Tim 2:4; Ahib 10:37 Mwathani ndagondagĩrĩra kũhingia ciĩranĩro ciake, ta ũrĩa andũ amwe meciiragia atĩ nĩagondagĩrĩra. We nĩamũkiragĩrĩria, tondũ ndendaga mũndũ o na ũmwe oore, no endaga andũ othe merire.
103:10 Math 24:35; Luk 12:39 No rĩrĩ, mũthenya wa Mwathani ũgooka o ta mũici. Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, igũrũ nĩrĩkabuĩria na mũrurumo mũnene; nacio ciũmbe iria itũire kũu igũrũ nĩikaahĩa nĩ mwaki ithire, nayo thĩ na kĩrĩa gĩothe kĩrĩ kuo nĩigacinwo ithire biũ.
11Kuona atĩ indo ciothe nĩikaanangwo na njĩra ĩyo-rĩ, inyuĩ mũkĩagĩrĩirwo gũkorwo mũrĩ andũ a mũthemba ũrĩkũ? Inyuĩ mwagĩrĩirwo nĩgũtũũraga mũtũũrĩre mũtheru na wa kwĩyamũrĩra Ngai, 123:12 1Akor 1:7; Thab 50:3 mũgĩtanyaga na mũkĩĩriragĩria mũthenya ũcio ũkinye narua. Mũthenya ũcio wakinya-rĩ, igũrũ nĩrĩkaanangwo na mwaki, na indo ciothe iria irĩ kuo ihĩe nĩ mwaki, itweke. 133:13 Isa 65:17; 66:22; Kũg 21:1 No kũringana na ũrĩa eeranĩire-rĩ, nĩtwĩrĩgĩrĩire igũrũ rĩerũ na thĩ njerũ, o kuo kũrĩa gũtũũraga ũthingu.
143:14 1Athe 3:13Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, inyuĩ arata akwa nyendete mũno, kuona atĩ nĩmwĩrĩgĩrĩire ũndũ ũyũ-rĩ, kĩĩrutanĩriei mũkoragwo mũtarĩ na kĩmeni, na mũtarĩ na ũcuuke, na mũrĩ na thayũ nake. 153:15 Arom 2:4; Aef 3:3 Menyai atĩ gũkirĩrĩria kwa Mwathani witũ nĩkuo gũtũmaga mũhonokio, o ta ũrĩa mũrũ wa Ithe witũ Paũlũ, ũrĩa twendete aamwandĩkĩire arĩ na ũũgĩ ũrĩa Ngai aamũhete. 163:16 Thab 56:5; Jer 23:36; 2Pet 2:14 Marũa-inĩ make mothe aandĩkĩte o ũhoro wa maũndũ macio. Marũa-inĩ make nĩ kũrĩ maũndũ mamwe maritũ mũno kũmenya, marĩa andũ arĩa matooĩ na arĩa matakindagĩria mogomagia, o ta ũrĩa mogomagia Maandĩko marĩa mangĩ, nao makereherere mwanangĩko.
173:17 1Akor 10:12; Kũg 2:5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, arata akwa nyendete mũno, kuona nĩmũrĩkĩtie kũmenya maũndũ macio-rĩ, mwĩmenyererei nĩguo mũtikaheenererio mũgũe muume ũhoro-inĩ wanyu wa gwĩkindĩra wega nĩ kũhĩtithio nĩ mahĩtia ma andũ arĩa matamenyagĩrĩra watho. 183:18 Arom 3:24; 2Pet 1:2 No rĩrĩ, thiĩi na mbere gũkũra thĩinĩ wa wega na ũmenyo wa Mwathani na Mũhonokia witũ Jesũ Kristũ. Nake arotũũra arĩ na riiri rĩu na nginya tene! Ameni.
