1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ^[a] through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus, ² to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did, with a pure conscience. How unceasing is my memory of you in my petitions, night and day ⁴ longing to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy; ⁵ having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, in you also.

⁶ For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. ⁸ Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God, ⁹ who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal, ¹⁰ but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News. ¹¹ For this I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. ¹² For this cause I also suffer these things.

Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

¹³ Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

¹⁵ This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain, ¹⁷ but when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently and found me ¹⁸ (the Lord grant to him to find the Lord’s mercy in that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus, you know very well.