2 Timothy 1-4

English Standard Version

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of Christ Jesus ^(B)by the will of God according to ^(C)the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,

² To Timothy, ^(D)my beloved child:

^(E)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You

^3 (F)I thank God ^(G)whom I serve, as did my ancestors, ^(H)with a clear conscience, as I remember you ^(I)constantly in my prayers night and day. ^4 (J)As I remember your tears, ^(K)I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of ^(L)your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and ^(M)your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. ⁶ For this reason I remind you ^(N)to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, ⁷ for God gave us ^(O)a spirit not of fear but ^(P)of power and love and self-control.

⁸ Therefore ^(Q)do not be ashamed of ^(R)the testimony about our Lord, nor of ^(S)me his prisoner, but ^(T)share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ^9 (U)who saved us and ^(V)called us to^[a] a holy calling, ^(W)not because of our works but because of ^(X)his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus ^(Y)before the ages began,^{[b] 10} and which now has ^(Z)been manifested through ^(AA)the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, ^(AB)who abolished death and ^(AC)brought life and ^(AD)immortality to light through the gospel, ^11 (AE)for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, ^12 (AF)which is why I suffer as I do. But ^(AG)I am not ashamed, for ^(AH)I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until ^(AI)that day ^(AJ)what has been entrusted to me.^{[c] 13 (AK)}Follow ^(AL)the pattern of ^(AM)the sound^[d] words ^(AN)that you have heard from me, in ^(AO)the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ By the Holy Spirit ^(AP)who dwells within us, guard ^(AQ)the good deposit entrusted to you.

¹⁵ You are aware that ^(AR)all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to ^(AS)the household of Onesiphorus, for he often ^(AT)refreshed me and was not ashamed of ^(AU)my chains, ¹⁷ but when he arrived in Rome ^(AV)he searched for me earnestly and found me— ¹⁸ may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on ^(AW)that day!—and you well know all the service he ^(AX)rendered at Ephesus.

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 You then, ^(AY)my child, ^(AZ)be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ² and ^(BA)what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses ^(BB)entrust to faithful men,^{[e] (BC)}who will be able to teach others also. ^3 (BD)Share in suffering as ^(BE)a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier ^(BF)gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. ^5 (BG)An athlete is not ^(BH)crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ It is ^(BI)the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. ⁷ Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, ^(BJ)risen from the dead, the ^(BK)offspring of David, ^(BL)as preached in my gospel, ^9 (BM)for which I am suffering, ^(BN)bound with chains as a criminal. But ^(BO)the word of God is not bound! ¹⁰ Therefore ^(BP)I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain ^(BQ)the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with ^(BR)eternal glory. ¹¹ The saying is ^(BS)trustworthy, for:

for ^(BZ)he cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, and ^(CA)charge them before God^{[f] (CB)}not to quarrel about words, ^(CC)which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,^[g] a worker ^(CD)who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶ But ^(CE)avoid ^(CF)irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are ^(CG)Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have swerved from the truth, ^(CH)saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹ But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ^(CI)“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone ^(CJ)who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

²⁰ Now in ^(CK)a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, ^(CL)some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹ Therefore, ^(CM)if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,^[h] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ^(CN)ready for every good work.

²² So ^(CO)flee ^(CP)youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with ^(CQ)those who call on the Lord ^(CR)from a pure heart. ²³ Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant ^(CS)controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ And ^(CT)the Lord's servant^[i] must not be quarrelsome but ^(CU)kind to everyone, ^(CV)able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents ^(CW)with gentleness. God ^(CX)may perhaps grant them repentance ^(CY)leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(CZ)the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Godlessness in the Last Days

3 But understand this, that ^(DA)in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be ^(DB)lovers of self, ^(DC)lovers of money, ^(DD)proud, ^(DE)arrogant, abusive, ^(DF)disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ^3 (DG)heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, ^(DH)not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, ^(DI)swollen with conceit, ^(DJ)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but ^(DK)denying its power. ^(DL)Avoid such people. ⁶ For among them are ^(DM)those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to ^(DN)arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as ^(DO)Jannes and Jambres ^(DP)opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, ^(DQ)men corrupted in mind and ^(DR)disqualified regarding the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, ^(DS)as was that of those two men.

All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God

^10 (DT)You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹ my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me ^(DU)at Antioch, ^(DV)at Iconium, and ^(DW)at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet ^(DX)from them all ^(DY)the Lord rescued me. ¹² Indeed, all who desire to ^(DZ)live a godly life in Christ Jesus ^(EA)will be persecuted, ¹³ while ^(EB)evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and ^(EC)being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, ^(ED)continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom^[j] you learned it ¹⁵ and how ^(EE)from childhood you have been acquainted with ^(EF)the sacred writings, ^(EG)which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ^16 (EH)All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that ^(EI)the man of God^[k] may be complete, ^(EJ)equipped ^(EK)for every good work.

Preach the Word

4 ^(EL)I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, ^(EM)who is to judge the living and the dead, and by ^(EN)his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; ^(EO)reprove, rebuke, and ^(EP)exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ^3 (EQ)For the time is coming when people will not endure ^(ER)sound^[l] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and ^(ES)will turn away from listening to the truth and ^(ET)wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, ^(EU)always be sober-minded, ^(EV)endure suffering, do the work of ^(EW)an evangelist, ^(EX)fulfill your ministry.

⁶ For ^(EY)I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my ^(EZ)departure has come. ^7 (FA)I have fought the good fight, ^(FB)I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Henceforth there is ^(FC)laid up for me ^(FD)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, ^(FE)the righteous judge, will award to me on ^(FF)that day, and not only to me but also to all ^(FG)who have loved his appearing.

Personal Instructions

^9 (FH)Do your best to come to me soon. ¹⁰ For ^(FI)Demas, ^(FJ)in love with ^(FK)this present world, ^(FL)has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia,^{[m] (FM)}Titus to Dalmatia. ^11 (FN)Luke alone is with me. Get ^(FO)Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. ^12 (FP)Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. ^14 (FQ)Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; ^(FR)the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. ¹⁵ Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. ¹⁶ At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. ^(FS)May it not be charged against them! ¹⁷ But ^(FT)the Lord stood by me and ^(FU)strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and ^(FV)all the Gentiles might hear it. So ^(FW)I was rescued ^(FX)from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. ^(FY)To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

¹⁹ Greet ^(FZ)Prisca and Aquila, and ^(GA)the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰ Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left ^(GB)Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. ^21 (GC)Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.^[n]

²² The Lord be ^(GD)with your spirit. ^(GE)Grace be with you.^[o]