« | 2 Peter 3 |
1 Dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to you. In both of them I have tried to get you to remember some things.
2 You should remember the words that were spoken before by the holy early preachers. Do not forget the teaching of the Lord, the One Who saves. This was given to you by your missionaries.
3 First of all, I want you to know that in the last days men will laugh at the truth. They will follow their own sinful desires.
4 They will say, "He promised to come again. Where is He? Since our early fathers died, everything is the same from the beginning of the world."
5 But they want to forget that God spoke and the heavens were made long ago. The earth was made out of water and water was all around it.
6 Long ago the earth was covered with water and it was destroyed.
7 But the heaven we see now and the earth we live on now have been kept by His word. They will be kept until they are to be destroyed by fire. They will be kept until the day men stand before God and sinners will be destroyed.
8 Dear friends, remember this one thing, with the Lord one day is as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years are as one day.
9 The Lord is not slow about keeping His promise as some people think. He is waiting for you. The Lord does not want any person to be punished forever. He wants all people to be sorry for their sins and turn from them.
10 The day of the Lord will come as a robber comes. The heavens will pass away with a loud noise. The sun and moon and stars will burn up. The earth and all that is in it will be burned up.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, you should think about the kind of life you are living. It should be holy and God-like.
12 You should look for the day of God to come. You should do what you can to make it come soon. At that time the heavens will be destroyed by fire. And the sun and moon and stars will melt away with much heat.
13 We are looking for what God has promised, which are new heavens and a new earth. Only what is right and good will be there.
14 Dear friends, since you are waiting for these things to happen, do all you can to be found by Him in peace. Be clean and free from sin.
15 You can be sure the long waiting of our Lord is part of His plan to save men from the punishment of sin. God gave our dear brother Paul the wisdom to write about this also.
16 He wrote about these things in all of his writings. Some of these things are hard to understand. People who do not have much understanding and some who are not strong in the faith change the meaning of his letters. They do this to the other parts of the Holy Writings also. They are destroying themselves as they do this.
17 And so, dear friends, now that you know this, watch so you will not be led away by the mistakes of these sinful people. Do not be moved by them.
18 Grow in the loving-favor that Christ gives you. Learn to know our Lord Jesus Christ better. He is the One Who saves. May He have all the shining-greatness now and forever. Let it be so.
The New Life Version (NLV)
The New Life Version (NLV) is a unique English translation of the Bible designed to be exceptionally easy to read and understand. First published in 1969, the NLV was created by Gleason Ledyard, a missionary and linguist, to make the Scriptures accessible to people who have limited English proficiency or are new to the language. Ledyard’s aim was to provide a Bible that even those with minimal education could read and comprehend, thus opening the door for a wider audience to engage with the biblical texts.
A defining characteristic of the New Life Version is its use of a limited vocabulary of about 850 basic English words, along with some necessary theological terms. This restricted vocabulary ensures that the language remains simple and straightforward, making the text accessible to young readers, new Christians, and those for whom English is a second language. The translators also avoided idiomatic expressions and complex sentence structures, further enhancing clarity and understanding. This makes the NLV a particularly valuable resource for educational and missionary work.
The NLV also emphasizes faithfulness to the original texts, despite its simplified language. The translation aims to maintain the integrity and message of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. By carefully choosing words that accurately convey the meaning of the original texts while ensuring simplicity, the NLV provides a balance between accessibility and fidelity. Additionally, the NLV includes explanatory footnotes and cross-references that help readers understand the context and deeper meanings of the passages, making it a useful tool for both personal study and group teaching.
However, the New Life Version is not without its critics. Some scholars and traditionalists argue that the limited vocabulary and simplified language can lead to a loss of nuance and depth found in the original texts. They suggest that the NLV’s focus on simplicity may sometimes oversimplify complex theological concepts. Despite these criticisms, the New Life Version remains a valuable translation for its intended audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps a wide range of readers engage with the Scriptures and grow in their faith.