JMNT(i)
1 Now progressively come to know this and continue realizing it, that within [
the]
last (or: final)
days hard seasons (difficult occasions and situations; irksome, perilous or fierce seasons or situations that are hard to deal with; hard appointed periods)
will progressively set themselves in (take a stand within; put themselves in place),
2 for the people (the humans; mankind)
will continue being folks that are fond of themselves (self-loving; selfish),
fond of silver (= have affection for money or things of monetary value which makes them stingy),
empty pretenders (impostors; ostentatious self-assumers),
haughty and arrogant (superior-appearing),
blasphemers (abusive slanderers; folks who defame with a false image; or: light-hinderers),
uncompliant and disobedient to parents, ungrateful (or: unthankful),
undutiful (disloyal; without regard for divine or natural laws; malign),
3 without natural affection, unwilling to make a treaty (implacable; not open to an agreement),
devils (adversarial slanderers; folks who throw or thrust something through people to hurt or cause divisions),
without strength (without [self-] control),
uncultivated (wild; untamed; ferocious; fierce),
without fondness for expressions of good or aspects of goodness (or: without affection for good people; unfriendly; averse to virtue),
4 betrayers (traitors),
rash (forward-falling; reckless),
folks having been inflated with the fumes of conceit (or: ones being beclouded in smoke),
pleasure-lovers (ones fond of [their own] gratification)
rather than friends of God (ones fond of God),
5 continuously holding (having)
a form of reverence (virtuous conduct; pious awe)
yet being folks having refused (or: turned their back on)
and now denying its power and ability! And so, be habitually turning your steps in a direction away from these folks and avoid them,
6 for you see, forth from out of the midst of these folks are the people repeatedly slipping-in, into the houses, (or: worming their way into households)
and habitually leading into captivity little women [note: this is the diminutive of "women, " thus, perhaps: women of undeveloped character, ability, or inward stature. While the word for “woman” is feminine, the noun “little women” and the following participles are neuter – or neutral – so this rare word may be a figure for what was a cultural view for “feminine” aspects of all people, e.g., their feelings and emotions, or general receptive qualities] –
those having been piled on and now being heaped up with failures (errors; misses of the target; deviations from the goal; sins),
being constantly, or from time to time, led by (or: in; to)
various (diverse; many-colored)
over-desires (or: full passions; wants and wishes that are rushed upon) [A adds: and gratifications],
7 at all times (or: always)
folks [note: again a neuter, or neutral, participle]
that are constantly learning, and yet not at any time being able or having consistent power to come into a full, accurate experiential and intimate knowledge of Truth (or: reality).
8 Now, in the manner which (or: by the turn or method that)
Jannes and Jambres took a stand in opposition to (or: resisted and opposed)
Moses, thus, also, these are continually taking a stand in opposition to (opposing and resisting)
the Truth and reality: people (humans)
being ones having had the mind decayed down (ruined and spoiled down; corrupted; depraved; put into a sorry state),
folks failing to meet the test (disqualified ones)
on all sides of (or: about)
the faith (or: = ones whose trust does not pass the test from any angle).
9 But they will continue making no further progress (not be cutting a passage forward)
upon more [
folks]
(or: Nevertheless, they won't get very far),
for their mindlessness (madness; lack of understanding; folly)
will be quite evident (very plain; obvious; outstanding and in clear visibility)
to all, even as the [
madness]
of those [
two, i.e., Jannes and Jambres]
came to be.
10 Yet you, yourself, follow (or: followed)
closely beside me: in the teaching, by the instruction and with the training; in the leading, by the guidance for conduct; in the purpose (or: with the fore-setting or by forth-setting; to and for the proposal; [used of setting-forth of the loaves in the holy place of the Temple:
Mat. 12:4;
Heb. 9:2]);
in the trust, for the faith, by the conviction and with the faithful loyalty; in and by the long-waiting to be in a heat and breathe violently (or: with long-suffering patience);
in and with the accepting love; in and by the steadfast remaining-under (or: with persevering, patient endurance while giving support);
11 in (or: by)
the pursuits and with persecutions; in and by
the effects of the experiences and with results of the sufferings – the sort of things that were birthed in me and happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, in Lystra; the sort of pursuits and persecutions which I bear up under (or: carried-on under)
and yet out of the midst of which the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ]
drags (or: snatched)
me forth from all of them.
12 And indeed (or: And so)
all those habitually resolving (intending; willing)
to be continuously living in a reverent, devout and pious manner with virtuous conduct from ease and goodness within Christ Jesus will be repeatedly pursued, persecuted and harassed.
13 Now people of a bad condition and of an harmful disposition (useless and malicious humans who bring misery and hard labor),
as well as sorcerers (folks who wail and cast spells; or: impostors and swindlers; those who juggle a situation),
will continue cutting a path forward upon the worse (or: will be advancing and making progress from bad to worse),
repeatedly leading [
folks]
astray (or: causing [folks] to wander [from the Path])
and progressively being led astray (or: caused to wander).
14 Yet you, yourself, be constantly remaining within what you learned and in those things of which you were persuaded and became convinced (became assured),
having seen, and so knowing, from whose (what folks')
side you learned [
these things]
,
15 and that from an infant (babe)
you have seen and thus know [
the]
sacred Scriptures (or: Temple writings):
the ones being constantly able (those continuously having power)
to give you wisdom – [
that leads you]
into deliverance (wholeness, good health, rescue and salvation) –
through Jesus' faith, resident within Christ (or: through means of the faith and trust that [exists] in Jesus [the] Anointed; by faith which is Jesus in union with an Anointing).
16 All Scripture [
is]
God-breathed, and [
is]
beneficial to furtherance toward instruction (or: Every inspired-of-God [temple] writing [is] also profitable {of advantage; [gives] augmentation} with a view to teaching and training),
toward (with a view to)
testing unto proof (or, negatively: exposure; laying bare),
toward full restoration to straightness (or: straightening-up upon; = improvement),
toward child-training (education; discipline)
of the person within the Way pointed out (the one in rightwised [covenantal] relationships with fair and equitable dealing),
17 to the end that God's [
corporate]
Person (or: the person belonging to God; the human having his origin in God; humanity in relation to God)
may be exactly fitted (can exist being precisely prepared; would be entirely suited),
being one having been completely furnished and equipped toward every good work (with a view to every virtuous and excellent action).