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But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
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People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud,
abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
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without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal,
not lovers of the good,
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treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God -
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having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
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They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over
weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and
are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
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always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
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Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose
the truth - men of depraved minds,
who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
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But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those man,
their folly will be clear to everyone.
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You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose,
faith, patience, love, endurance,
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persecutions,sufferings - what kinds of things happened to me
in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.
Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
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In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
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while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse,
deceiving and being decited.
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But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become
convinced of because you know those from whom you learned it,
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and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
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All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
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so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.