2 Timothy 2-4

English Standard Version

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 You then, ^(A)my child, ^(B)be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ² and ^(C)what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses ^(D)entrust to faithful men,^{[a] (E)}who will be able to teach others also. ^3 (F)Share in suffering as ^(G)a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier ^(H)gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. ^5 (I)An athlete is not ^(J)crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ It is ^(K)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, ^(L)risen from the dead, the ^(M)offspring of David, ^(N)as preached in my gospel, ^9 (O)for which I am suffering, ^(P)bound with chains as a criminal. But ^(Q)the word of God is not bound! ¹⁰ Therefore ^(R)I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain ^(S)the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with ^(T)eternal glory. ¹¹ The saying is ^(U)trustworthy, for:

for ^(AB)he cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God

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

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

²² So ^(AQ)flee ^(AR)youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with ^(AS)those who call on the Lord ^(AT)from a pure heart. ²³ Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant ^(AU)controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ And ^(AV)the Lord's servant^[e] must not be quarrelsome but ^(AW)kind to everyone, ^(AX)able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents ^(AY)with gentleness. God ^(AZ)may perhaps grant them repentance ^(BA)leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(BB)the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Godlessness in the Last Days

3 But understand this, that ^(BC)in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be ^(BD)lovers of self, ^(BE)lovers of money, ^(BF)proud, ^(BG)arrogant, abusive, ^(BH)disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ^3 (BI)heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, ^(BJ)not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, ^(BK)swollen with conceit, ^(BL)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but ^(BM)denying its power. ^(BN)Avoid such people. ⁶ For among them are ^(BO)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 ^(BP)arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as ^(BQ)Jannes and Jambres ^(BR)opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, ^(BS)men corrupted in mind and ^(BT)disqualified regarding the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, ^(BU)as was that of those two men.

All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God

^10 (BV)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 ^(BW)at Antioch, ^(BX)at Iconium, and ^(BY)at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet ^(BZ)from them all ^(CA)the Lord rescued me. ¹² Indeed, all who desire to ^(CB)live a godly life in Christ Jesus ^(CC)will be persecuted, ¹³ while ^(CD)evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and ^(CE)being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, ^(CF)continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom^[f] you learned it ¹⁵ and how ^(CG)from childhood you have been acquainted with ^(CH)the sacred writings, ^(CI)which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ^16 (CJ)All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that ^(CK)the man of God^[g] may be complete, ^(CL)equipped ^(CM)for every good work.

Preach the Word

4 ^(CN)I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, ^(CO)who is to judge the living and the dead, and by ^(CP)his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; ^(CQ)reprove, rebuke, and ^(CR)exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ^3 (CS)For the time is coming when people will not endure ^(CT)sound^[h] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and ^(CU)will turn away from listening to the truth and ^(CV)wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, ^(CW)always be sober-minded, ^(CX)endure suffering, do the work of ^(CY)an evangelist, ^(CZ)fulfill your ministry.

⁶ For ^(DA)I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my ^(DB)departure has come. ^7 (DC)I have fought the good fight, ^(DD)I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Henceforth there is ^(DE)laid up for me ^(DF)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, ^(DG)the righteous judge, will award to me on ^(DH)that day, and not only to me but also to all ^(DI)who have loved his appearing.

Personal Instructions

^9 (DJ)Do your best to come to me soon. ¹⁰ For ^(DK)Demas, ^(DL)in love with ^(DM)this present world, ^(DN)has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia,^{[i] (DO)}Titus to Dalmatia. ^11 (DP)Luke alone is with me. Get ^(DQ)Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. ^12 (DR)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 (DS)Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; ^(DT)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. ^(DU)May it not be charged against them! ¹⁷ But ^(DV)the Lord stood by me and ^(DW)strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and ^(DX)all the Gentiles might hear it. So ^(DY)I was rescued ^(DZ)from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. ^(EA)To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

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

²² The Lord be ^(EF)with your spirit. ^(EG)Grace be with you.^[k]