¹⁸ This charge ^(A)I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with ^(B)the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may ^(C)wage the good warfare, ^19 (D)holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have ^(E)made shipwreck of their faith, ²⁰ among whom are ^(F)Hymenaeus and ^(G)Alexander, whom I ^(H)have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to ^(I)blaspheme.

Pray for All People

2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ^2 (J)for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and ^(K)dignified in every way. ³ This is good, and ^(L)it is pleasing in the sight of ^(M)God our Savior, ⁴ who desires ^(N)all people to be saved and ^(O)to come to ^(P)the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For ^(Q)there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man^[a] Christ Jesus, ^6 (R)who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is ^(S)the testimony given ^(T)at the proper time. ^7 (U)For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (^(V)I am telling the truth, I am not lying), ^(W)a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸ I desire then that ^(X)in every place the men should pray, ^(Y)lifting ^(Z)holy hands without anger or quarreling; ⁹ likewise also ^(AA)that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, ^10 (AB)but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. ¹¹ Let a woman learn quietly ^(AC)with all submissiveness. ^12 (AD)I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. ^13 (AE)For Adam was formed first, ^(AF)then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but ^(AG)the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. ¹⁵ Yet she will be saved through ^(AH)childbearing—if they continue in ^(AI)faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

^33 (A)“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, ^(B)for the tree is known by its fruit. ^34 (C)You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, ^(D)when you are evil? ^(E)For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ^35 (F)The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶ I tell you, ^(G)on the day of judgment ^(H)people will give account for ^(I)every careless word they speak, ³⁷ for ^(J)by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, ^(K)we wish to see a sign from you.” ³⁹ But he answered them, ^(L)“An evil and ^(M)adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For ^(N)just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, ^(O)so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ^41 (P)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and ^(Q)condemn it, for ^(R)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, ^(S)something greater than Jonah is here. ^42 (T)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, ^(U)something greater than Solomon is here.