22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love(A) and peace, along with those who call on the Lord(B) out of a pure heart.(C) 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.(D) 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.(E) 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,(F) 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,(G) who has taken them captive to do his will.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.(H) People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,(I) boastful, proud,(J) abusive,(K) disobedient to their parents,(L) ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,(M) rash, conceited,(N) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness(O) but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.(P)

They are the kind who worm their way(Q) into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.(R) Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,(S) so also these teachers oppose(T) the truth. They are men of depraved minds,(U) who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men,(V) their folly will be clear to everyone.

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