II Peter 3

¹Lo! ye moost dereworth britheren, Y write to you this secounde epistle, in which Y stire youre clere soule bi monesting togidere,

²that ye be myndeful of tho wordis, that Y biforseide of the hooli prophetis, and of the maundementis of the hooli apostlis of the Lord and sauyour.

³First wite ye this thing, that in the laste daies disseyueris schulen come in disseit, goynge aftir her owne coueityngis,

⁴seiynge, Where is the biheest, or the comyng of hym? for sithen the fadris dieden, alle thingis lasten fro the bigynnyng of creature.

⁵But it is hid fro hem willynge this thing, that heuenes were bifore, and the erthe of water was stondynge bi watir, of Goddis word;

⁶bi which that ilke world clensid, thanne bi watir perischide.

⁷But the heuenes that now ben, and the erthe, ben kept bi the same word, and ben reseruyd to fier in to the dai of doom and perdicioun of wickid men.

⁸But, ye moost dere, this o thing be not hid to you, that o dai anentis God is as a thousynde yeeris, and a thousynde yeeris ben as o dai.

⁹The Lord tarieth not his biheest, as summe gessen, but he doith pacientli for you, and wole not that ony men perische, but that alle turne ayen to penaunce.

¹⁰For the dai of the Lord schal come as a theef, in which heuenes with greet bire schulen passe, and elementis schulen be dissoluyd bi heete, and the erthe, and alle the werkis that ben in it, schulen be brent.

¹¹Therfor whanne alle these thingis schulen be dissolued, what manner men bihoueth it you to be in hooli lyuyngis and pitees,

¹²abidinge and hiyynge in to the comyng of the dai of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, bi whom heuenes brennynge schulen be dissoluyd, and elementis schulen faile bi brennyng of fier.

¹³Also we abiden bi hise biheestis newe heuenes and newe erthe, in which riytwisnesse dwellith.

¹⁴For which thing, ye moost dere, abidynge these thingis, be ye bisye to be foundun to hym in pees vnspottid and vndefoulid.

¹⁵And deme ye long abiding of oure Lord Jhesu Crist youre heelthe, as also oure moost dere brother Poul wroot to you, bi wisdom youun to hym.

¹⁶As and in alle epistlis he spekith `in hem of these thingis; in which ben summe hard thingis to vndurstonde, whiche vnwise and vnstable men deprauen, as also thei don othere scripturis, to her owne perdicioun.

¹⁷Therfor ye, britheren, bifor witynge kepe you silf, lest ye be disseyued bi errour of vnwise men, and falle awei fro youre owne sadnesse.

¹⁸But wexe ye in the grace and the knowyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist and oure Sauyour; to hym be glorie now and in to the dai of euerlastyngnesse. Amen.

II Peter 3

¹This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

²That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

³Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

⁴And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

⁵For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

⁶Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

⁷But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

⁸But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

⁹The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

¹¹Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

¹²Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

¹³Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

¹⁴Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

¹⁵And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

¹⁶As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

¹⁷Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

¹⁸But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.