1You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good, 4traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. 5They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people. 6For some of these men go into homes and deceive foolish women who are burdened with sins and swayed by all kinds of desires. 7These women are always studying but are never able to arrive at a full knowledge of the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and their faith is a counterfeit. 9But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those two men, their stupidity will be plain to everyone. 10But you have observed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 11and my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13But evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse as they deceive others and are themselves deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and found to be true, because you know from whom you learned it. 15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to give you the wisdom you need for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work.