3:1 But know this, that in the final days there will be difficult times.

3:2 People will be selfish, stingy, fake, contemptuous, disrespectful of their parents, incorrigible, ungrateful, improper,

3:3 cold-blooded, truce-breakers, slanderers, out of control, savage, haters of all that is good,

3:4 traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure instead of God.

3:5 They will have the appearance of devoutness but renounce its power; turn away from such people!

3:6 They are the kind who worm their way into people’s homes and make prisoners of war out of those who will follow anyone, because they are loaded down with many failures and are led around by all kinds of desires;

3:7 though they keep on learning they are never able to understand the truth.

3:8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these people oppose the truth; their minds are ruined and they are disqualified as far as the faith is concerned.

3:9 But they will never make any progress, and their senselessness will be as obvious as it was for those two.

3:10 You, on the other hand, have continued to closely follow me: my instruction, my methods, my intentions, my faith, my great patience, my love, my endurance,

3:11 my trials, and the hardships I experienced in Antioch and Iconium and Lystra. Such trials I have had to endure! But the Master pulled me through them all.

3:12 And everyone who chooses to live devoutly in Anointed Jesus will be harassed in the same way,

3:13 while evil people and sorcerers will get worse and worse, misleading and being misled.

3:14 But as for you, hold tightly to what you’ve learned and put your faith in, considering from whom you learned.

3:15 Practically from infancy you’ve been learning the sacred scriptures, which are able to make you wise to the salvation that is found in Anointed Jesus.

3:16 All the scriptures are brought to life by God, and are useful for instruction, as evidence, for correction, and for teaching justice,

3:17 so that those who belong to God will be fully equipped for every good activity.