1 Timothy 6
New American Standard Bible
Instructions to Those Who Minister
6 (A)All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor (B)so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be [a]spoken against. 2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are (C)brothers or sisters, but must serve them all the more, because those who [b]partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. (D)Teach and [c]preach these principles.
3 If anyone (E)advocates a different doctrine and does not [d]agree with (F)sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine (G)conforming to godliness, 4 he is (H)conceited and understands nothing; but he [e]has a sick craving for (I)controversial questions and (J)disputes about words, from which come envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between (K)people of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who (L)suppose that [f]godliness is a means of gain. 6 (M)But godliness actually is a means of (N)great gain when accompanied by (O)contentment. 7 For (P)we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. 8 If we (Q)have food and [g]covering, with these we shall be content. 9 (R)But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and (S)a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For (T)the love of money is a root of all [h]sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have (U)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many [i]griefs.
11 But (V)flee from these things, you (W)man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, (X)faith, (Y)love, [j]perseverance, and gentleness. 12 (Z)Fight the good fight of (AA)faith; (AB)take hold of the eternal life (AC)to which you were called, and for which you made the good (AD)confession in the presence of (AE)many witnesses. 13 (AF)I direct you in the presence of God, who [k]gives life to all things, and of (AG)Christ Jesus, who testified the (AH)good confession (AI)before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without [l]fault or reproach until the (AJ)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [m]bring about at (AK)the proper time—He who is (AL)the blessed and (AM)only Sovereign, (AN)the King of [n]kings and (AO)Lord of [o]lords, 16 (AP)who alone possesses immortality and (AQ)dwells in unapproachable light, (AR)whom [p]no one has seen or can see. (AS)To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
17 Instruct those who are rich in (AT)this present world (AU)not to be conceited or to (AV)set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, (AW)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in (AX)good [q]works, (AY)to be generous and ready to share, 19 (AZ)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may (BA)take hold of that which is truly life.
20 (BB)Timothy, protect (BC)what has been entrusted to you, avoiding (BD)worldly, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thereby have (BE)gone astray [r]from (BF)the faith.
(BG)Grace be with you.
Footnotes
- 1 Timothy 6:1 Or blasphemed
- 1 Timothy 6:2 Or devote themselves to kindness
- 1 Timothy 6:2 Lit exhort, urge
- 1 Timothy 6:3 Lit come to; or come with
- 1 Timothy 6:4 Lit is sick about
- 1 Timothy 6:5 Or religion
- 1 Timothy 6:8 I.e., any covering for protection, mainly clothing
- 1 Timothy 6:10 Lit the evils
- 1 Timothy 6:10 Lit pains
- 1 Timothy 6:11 Or steadfastness
- 1 Timothy 6:13 Or keeps alive
- 1 Timothy 6:14 Lit spot
- 1 Timothy 6:15 Lit show
- 1 Timothy 6:15 Lit those who reign as kings
- 1 Timothy 6:15 Lit those who rule as lords
- 1 Timothy 6:16 Lit none of mankind
- 1 Timothy 6:18 Or deeds
- 1 Timothy 6:21 Lit concerning
1 Timothy 6
English Standard Version
6 (A)Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants[a] regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, (B)so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are (C)brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.
False Teachers and True Contentment
(D)Teach and urge these things. 3 If anyone (E)teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with (F)the sound[b] words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching (G)that accords with godliness, 4 (H)he is puffed up with conceit and (I)understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for (J)controversy and for (K)quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people (L)who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, (M)imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But (N)godliness (O)with contentment is great gain, 7 for (P)we brought nothing into the world, and[c] we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But (Q)if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But (R)those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, (S)into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that (T)plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of (U)all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Fight the Good Fight of Faith
11 But as for you, (V)O man of God, (W)flee these things. (X)Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 (Y)Fight the good fight of the faith. (Z)Take hold of the eternal life (AA)to which you were called and about which you made (AB)the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 (AC)I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, (AD)who in his testimony before[d] Pontius Pilate made (AE)the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until (AF)the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display (AG)at the proper time—he who is (AH)the blessed and only Sovereign, (AI)the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 (AJ)who alone has immortality, (AK)who dwells in (AL)unapproachable light, (AM)whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
17 As for the rich in (AN)this present age, charge them (AO)not to be haughty, nor (AP)to set their hopes on (AQ)the uncertainty of riches, but on God, (AR)who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, (AS)to be rich in good works, to be generous and (AT)ready to share, 19 thus (AU)storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may (AV)take hold of (AW)that which is truly life.
20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. (AX)Avoid the (AY)irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.
Footnotes
- 1 Timothy 6:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
- 1 Timothy 6:3 Or healthy
- 1 Timothy 6:7 Greek for; some manuscripts insert [it is] certain [that]
- 1 Timothy 6:13 Or in the time of
- 1 Timothy 6:21 The Greek for you is plural
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
