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2 Timothy 4
Revised Standard Version

4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. 5 As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.

6 For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Personal Instructions

9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessaloni′ca; Crescens has gone to Galatia,[a] Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you; for he is very useful in serving me. 12 Tych′icus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Tro′as, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will requite him for his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one took my part; all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the message fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings and Benediction

19 Greet Prisca and Aq′uila, and the household of Onesiph′orus. 20 Eras′tus remained at Corinth; Troph′imus I left ill at Mile′tus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubu′lus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 4:10 Other ancient authorities read Gaul
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2 Timothy 4
New English Translation

Charge to Timothy Repeated

4 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 Preach the message,[a] be ready[b] whether it is convenient or not,[c] reprove, rebuke, exhort[d] with complete patience and instruction. 3 For there will be a time when people[e] will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires,[f] they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things.[g] 4 And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths.[h] 5 You, however, be self-controlled[i] in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time for me to depart[j] is at hand. 7 I have competed well;[k] I have finished the race; I have kept the faith! 8 Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day—and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on[l] his appearing.

Travel Plans and Concluding Greetings

9 Make every effort to come to me soon. 10 For Demas[m] deserted me, since he loved[n] the present age, and he went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is a great help[o] to me in ministry.[p] 12 Now I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring with you the cloak I left in Troas with Carpas and the scrolls, especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm.[q] The Lord will repay him in keeping with his deeds.[r] 15 You be on guard against him[s] too, because he vehemently opposed our words. 16 At my first defense no one appeared in my support; instead they all deserted me—may they not be held accountable for it. 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message[t] would be fully proclaimed[u] for all the Gentiles to hear. And so I was delivered from the lion’s mouth! 18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and will bring me safely[v] into his heavenly kingdom. To him[w] be glory for ever and ever![x] Amen.

19 Greetings to[y] Prisca and Aquila[z] and the family of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth. Trophimus I left ill in Miletus. 21 Make every effort to come before winter. Greetings to you from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.[aa] 22 The Lord[ab] be with your spirit. Grace be with you.[ac]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 4:2 tn Or “the word.”
  2. 2 Timothy 4:2 tn Or “be persistent.”
  3. 2 Timothy 4:2 tn Grk “in season, out of season.”
  4. 2 Timothy 4:2 tn Or “encourage.”
  5. 2 Timothy 4:3 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people in that future time) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  6. 2 Timothy 4:3 tn Grk “in accord with.”
  7. 2 Timothy 4:3 tn Grk “having an itching in regard to hearing,” “having itching ears.”
  8. 2 Timothy 4:4 sn These myths were legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; and Titus 1:14.
  9. 2 Timothy 4:5 tn Or “sober,” “temperate.”
  10. 2 Timothy 4:6 tn Grk “of my departure.”
  11. 2 Timothy 4:7 sn The expression I have competed well (Grk “I have competed the good competition”) uses words that may refer to a race or to a boxing or wrestling match: “run the good race” or “fight the good fight.” The similar phrase in 1 Tim 1:18 uses a military picture and is more literally “war the good warfare.”
  12. 2 Timothy 4:8 tn Grk “all who have loved.”
  13. 2 Timothy 4:10 sn Demas is most likely the same individual mentioned in Col 4:14 and Phlm 24.
  14. 2 Timothy 4:10 tn Grk “having loved.”
  15. 2 Timothy 4:11 tn Grk “useful.”
  16. 2 Timothy 4:11 tn Or “in serving me.”
  17. 2 Timothy 4:14 tn Grk “showed me much evil.”
  18. 2 Timothy 4:14 sn An allusion to Ps 28:4.
  19. 2 Timothy 4:15 tn Grk “against whom,” as a continuation of the previous clause. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  20. 2 Timothy 4:17 tn Or “the preaching.”
  21. 2 Timothy 4:17 tn Grk “might be completely fulfilled.”
  22. 2 Timothy 4:18 tn Grk “save me.”
  23. 2 Timothy 4:18 tn Grk “to whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  24. 2 Timothy 4:18 tn Grk “unto the ages of the ages,” an emphatic way of speaking about eternity in Greek.
  25. 2 Timothy 4:19 tn Grk “greet.”
  26. 2 Timothy 4:19 sn On Prisca and Aquila see also Acts 18:2, 18, 26; Rom 16:3-4; 1 Cor 16:19. In the NT “Priscilla” and “Prisca” are the same person. Paul uses the name Prisca, while the author of Acts uses the diminutive form of the name Priscilla.
  27. 2 Timothy 4:21 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelphoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).
  28. 2 Timothy 4:22 tc The reading ὁ κύριος (ho kurios, “the Lord”) is well supported by א* F G 33 1739 1881 sa, but predictable expansions on the text have occurred at this point: A 104 614 read ὁ κύριος ᾿Ιησοῦς (ho kurios Iēsous, “the Lord Jesus”), while א2 C D Ψ 1175 1241 1505 M al sy bo have ὁ κύριος ᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστός (ho kurios Iēsous Christos, “the Lord Jesus Christ”). As B. M. Metzger notes, although in a late book such as 2 Timothy, one might expect the fuller title for the Lord, accidental omission of nomina sacra is rare (TCGNT 582). The shorter reading is thus preferred on both external and internal grounds.
  29. 2 Timothy 4:22 tc Most witnesses (א2 D Ψ 1175 1241 1505 M al lat sy) conclude this letter with ἀμήν (amēn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, there are several excellent Alexandrian and Western representatives (א* A C F G 6 33 81 1739* 1881 sa) that lack the particle, rendering the omission the preferred reading.
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