1 Timothy 4:12 - 2 Timothy 2:26

English Standard Version

^12 (A)Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers ^(B)an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ^14 (C)Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you ^(D)by prophecy when the council of elders ^(E)laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,^[a] so that ^(F)all may see your progress. ^16 (G)Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save ^(H)both yourself and ^(I)your hearers.

Instructions for the Church

5 ^(J)Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, ^(K)younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³ Honor widows ^(L)who are truly widows. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn ^(M)to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for ^(N)this is pleasing in the sight of God. ⁵ She ^(O)who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and ^(P)continues in supplications and prayers night and day, ⁶ but ^(Q)she who is self-indulgent is ^(R)dead even while she lives. ^7 (S)Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. ⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for ^(T)members of his household, he has ^(U)denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹ Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been ^(V)the wife of one husband,^{[b] 10} and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has ^(W)shown hospitality, ^(X)has washed the feet of the saints, has ^(Y)cared for the afflicted, and has ^(Z)devoted herself to every good work. ¹¹ But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when ^(AA)their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry ¹² and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. ¹³ Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also ^(AB)gossips and ^(AC)busybodies, saying what they should not. ¹⁴ So I would have ^(AD)younger widows marry, bear children, ^(AE)manage their households, and ^(AF)give the adversary no occasion for slander. ^15 (AG)For some have already strayed after Satan. ¹⁶ If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those ^(AH)who are truly widows.

¹⁷ Let the elders ^(AI)who rule well be considered worthy of ^(AJ)double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, ^(AK)“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, ^(AL)“The laborer deserves his wages.” ¹⁹ Do not admit a charge against an elder except ^(AM)on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁰ As for those who persist in sin, ^(AN)rebuke them in the presence of all, ^(AO)so that the rest may stand in fear. ²¹ In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels ^(AP)I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, ^(AQ)doing nothing from partiality. ^22 (AR)Do not be hasty in the ^(AS)laying on of hands, nor ^(AT)take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. ²³ (No longer drink only water, but ^(AU)use a little wine ^(AV)for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) ²⁴ The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. ²⁵ So also good works are conspicuous, and ^(AW)even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

6 ^(AX)Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants^[c] regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, ^(AY)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 ^(AZ)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

^(BA)Teach and urge these things. ³ If anyone ^(BB)teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with ^(BC)the sound^[d] words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching ^(BD)that accords with godliness, ^4 (BE)he is puffed up with conceit and ^(BF)understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for ^(BG)controversy and for ^(BH)quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction among people ^(BI)who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, ^(BJ)imagining that godliness is a means of gain. ⁶ But ^(BK)godliness ^(BL)with contentment is great gain, ⁷ for ^(BM)we brought nothing into the world, and^[e] we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But ^(BN)if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But ^(BO)those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, ^(BP)into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that ^(BQ)plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of ^(BR)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, ^(BS)O man of God, ^(BT)flee these things. ^(BU)Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ^12 (BV)Fight the good fight of the faith. ^(BW)Take hold of the eternal life ^(BX)to which you were called and about which you made ^(BY)the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ^13 (BZ)I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, ^(CA)who in his testimony before^[f] Pontius Pilate made ^(CB)the good confession, ¹⁴ to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until ^(CC)the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which he will display ^(CD)at the proper time—he who is ^(CE)the blessed and only Sovereign, ^(CF)the King of kings and Lord of lords, ^16 (CG)who alone has immortality, ^(CH)who dwells in ^(CI)unapproachable light, ^(CJ)whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

¹⁷ As for the rich in ^(CK)this present age, charge them ^(CL)not to be haughty, nor ^(CM)to set their hopes on ^(CN)the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^(CO)who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ They are to do good, ^(CP)to be rich in good works, to be generous and ^(CQ)ready to share, ¹⁹ thus ^(CR)storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^(CS)take hold of ^(CT)that which is truly life.

²⁰ O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. ^(CU)Avoid the ^(CV)irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” ²¹ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

^(CW)Grace be with you.^[g]

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(CX)an apostle of Christ Jesus ^(CY)by the will of God according to ^(CZ)the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,

² To Timothy, ^(DA)my beloved child:

^(DB)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You

^3 (DC)I thank God ^(DD)whom I serve, as did my ancestors, ^(DE)with a clear conscience, as I remember you ^(DF)constantly in my prayers night and day. ^4 (DG)As I remember your tears, ^(DH)I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of ^(DI)your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and ^(DJ)your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. ⁶ For this reason I remind you ^(DK)to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, ⁷ for God gave us ^(DL)a spirit not of fear but ^(DM)of power and love and self-control.

⁸ Therefore ^(DN)do not be ashamed of ^(DO)the testimony about our Lord, nor of ^(DP)me his prisoner, but ^(DQ)share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ^9 (DR)who saved us and ^(DS)called us to^[h] a holy calling, ^(DT)not because of our works but because of ^(DU)his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus ^(DV)before the ages began,^{[i] 10} and which now has ^(DW)been manifested through ^(DX)the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, ^(DY)who abolished death and ^(DZ)brought life and ^(EA)immortality to light through the gospel, ^11 (EB)for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, ^12 (EC)which is why I suffer as I do. But ^(ED)I am not ashamed, for ^(EE)I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until ^(EF)that day ^(EG)what has been entrusted to me.^{[j] 13 (EH)}Follow ^(EI)the pattern of ^(EJ)the sound^[k] words ^(EK)that you have heard from me, in ^(EL)the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ By the Holy Spirit ^(EM)who dwells within us, guard ^(EN)the good deposit entrusted to you.

¹⁵ You are aware that ^(EO)all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to ^(EP)the household of Onesiphorus, for he often ^(EQ)refreshed me and was not ashamed of ^(ER)my chains, ¹⁷ but when he arrived in Rome ^(ES)he searched for me earnestly and found me— ¹⁸ may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on ^(ET)that day!—and you well know all the service he ^(EU)rendered at Ephesus.

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 You then, ^(EV)my child, ^(EW)be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ² and ^(EX)what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses ^(EY)entrust to faithful men,^{[l] (EZ)}who will be able to teach others also. ^3 (FA)Share in suffering as ^(FB)a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier ^(FC)gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. ^5 (FD)An athlete is not ^(FE)crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ It is ^(FF)the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. ⁷ Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, ^(FG)risen from the dead, the ^(FH)offspring of David, ^(FI)as preached in my gospel, ^9 (FJ)for which I am suffering, ^(FK)bound with chains as a criminal. But ^(FL)the word of God is not bound! ¹⁰ Therefore ^(FM)I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain ^(FN)the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with ^(FO)eternal glory. ¹¹ The saying is ^(FP)trustworthy, for:

for ^(FW)he cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, and ^(FX)charge them before God^{[m] (FY)}not to quarrel about words, ^(FZ)which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,^[n] a worker ^(GA)who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶ But ^(GB)avoid ^(GC)irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are ^(GD)Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have swerved from the truth, ^(GE)saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹ But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ^(GF)“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone ^(GG)who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

²⁰ Now in ^(GH)a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, ^(GI)some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹ Therefore, ^(GJ)if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,^[o] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ^(GK)ready for every good work.

²² So ^(GL)flee ^(GM)youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with ^(GN)those who call on the Lord ^(GO)from a pure heart. ²³ Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant ^(GP)controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ And ^(GQ)the Lord's servant^[p] must not be quarrelsome but ^(GR)kind to everyone, ^(GS)able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents ^(GT)with gentleness. God ^(GU)may perhaps grant them repentance ^(GV)leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(GW)the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.