16 But ^havoid ⁱirreverent babble, for it will lead people into ^jmore and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are ^kHymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have ^lswerved from the truth, ^msaying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.

23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant ^vcontroversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant¹ must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 ^wcorrecting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the ^xsnare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Godlessness in the Last Days

1 But understand this, that ^yin the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, ^zproud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, ^aswollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. ^bAvoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a ^cknowledge of the truth. 8 Just as ^dJannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men ^ecorrupted in mind and ^fdisqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

3 ^xFor the time is coming when people will not endure ^ysound¹ teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and ^zwander off into ^amyths. 5 But as for you, always be sober-minded, ^bendure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, ^cfulfill your ministry.