Font Size
1 Timothy 2:1-8
New American Standard Bible
1 Timothy 2:1-8
New American Standard Bible
A Call to Prayer
2 First of all, then, I urge that (A)requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 (B)for kings and all who are in [a]authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and [b]dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of (C)God our Savior, 4 (D)who wants all people to be (E)saved and to (F)come to the [c]knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is (G)one God, and (H)one mediator also between God and mankind, the (I)man Christ Jesus, 6 who (J)gave Himself as a ransom for all, the (K)testimony [d]given at [e](L)the proper time. 7 (M)For this I was appointed as a [f]preacher and (N)an apostle ((O)I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of (P)the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Instructions for Believers
8 Therefore (Q)I want the men (R)in every place to pray, (S)lifting up (T)holy hands, without anger and dispute.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Timothy 2:2 Or a high position
- 1 Timothy 2:2 Or seriousness
- 1 Timothy 2:4 Or recognition
- 1 Timothy 2:6 Or to be given
- 1 Timothy 2:6 Lit its own times
- 1 Timothy 2:7 Or herald
1 Timothy 2:1-8
New International Version
1 Timothy 2:1-8
New International Version
Instructions on Worship
2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,(A) intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority,(B) that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness(C) and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases(D) God our Savior,(E) 4 who wants(F) all people(G) to be saved(H) and to come to a knowledge of the truth.(I) 5 For there is one God(J) and one mediator(K) between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,(L) 6 who gave himself as a ransom(M) for all people. This has now been witnessed to(N) at the proper time.(O) 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying(P)—and a true and faithful teacher(Q) of the Gentiles.(R)
8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands(S) without anger or disputing.
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Contemporary English Version
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Contemporary English Version
How To Pray
2 First of all, I ask you to pray for everyone. Ask God to help and bless them all, and tell God how thankful you are for each of them. 2 Pray for kings and others in power, so we may live quiet and peaceful lives as we worship and honor God. 3 This kind of prayer is good, and it pleases God our Savior. 4 God wants everyone to be saved and to know the whole truth, which is,
5 There is only one God,
and Christ Jesus
is the only one
who can bring us
to God.
Jesus was truly human,
and he gave himself
to rescue all of us.
6 God showed us this
at the right time.
7 (A) This is why God chose me to be a preacher and an apostle of the good news. I am telling the truth. I am not lying. God sent me to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth.
8 I want everyone everywhere to lift innocent hands toward heaven and pray, without being angry or arguing with each other.
Read full chapter
1 Timothy 2:1-10
The Message
1 Timothy 2:1-10
The Message
Simple Faith and Plain Truth
2 1-3 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.
4-7 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
8-10 Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it.
Read full chapter
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson