2 Peter 3:3–13

³First, you must understand this: In the last days people who follow their own desires will appear. These disrespectful people will ridicule ⸤God’s promise⸥ ⁴by saying, “What’s happened to his promise to return? Ever since our ancestors died, everything continues as it did from the beginning of the world.” 

⁵They are deliberately ignoring one fact: Because of God’s word, heaven and earth existed a long time ago. The earth ⸤appeared⸥ out of water and was kept alive by water. ⁶Water also flooded and destroyed that world. ⁷By God’s word, the present heaven and earth are designated to be burned. They are being kept until the day ungodly people will be judged and destroyed. 

⁸Dear friends, don’t ignore this fact: One day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. ⁹The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act. 

¹⁰The day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day heaven will pass away with a roaring sound. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed. The earth and everything that people have done on it will be exposed.^a

¹¹All these things will be destroyed in this way. So think of the kind of holy and godly lives you must live ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and eagerly wait for it to come. When that day comes, heaven will be on fire and will be destroyed. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and melt. ¹³But we look forward to what God has promised—a new heaven and a new earth—a place where everything that has God’s approval lives.