3 Be sure of this. In the last days hard times will come.

² People will love themselves. They will love money. They will talk about themselves and be proud. They will say wrong things about people. They will not obey their parents. They will not be thankful. They will not keep anything holy.

³ They will have no love. They will not agree with anybody. They will tell lies about people. They will have no self-control. They will beat people. They will not love anything that is good.

⁴ They cannot be trusted. They will act quickly, without thinking. They are proud of themselves. They love to have fun more than they love God.

⁵ They act as if they worshipped God, yet they do not let God's power work in their lives. Keep away from people like that.

⁶ They are the kind who go quietly into people's houses. There they get foolish women to believe them. These women know that they have done many wrong things. And they want to do many kinds of wrong things.

⁷ They are always trying to learn, but never able to find out what is really true.

⁸ Jannes and Jambres were two men who were very much against Moses. In the same way, these men I am talking about are against what is true. They are men who have wrong thoughts in their minds. They do not believe.

⁹ But these men will not get very far. Everyone will see that they are wrong, just as people saw that Jannes and Jambres were wrong.

¹⁰ Timothy, you know my teaching and the way I lived. You know what I want to do and what I believe. You know my patience, my love, and my strength to bear trouble.

¹¹ You know about my troubles. You know what happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra. You know how badly the people treated me. But the Lord brought me safely through it all.

¹² Yes, all who want to live a good life in Christ Jesus will be troubled by other people.

¹³ Bad men and those who fool other people will grow worse and worse. They will fool other people, and other people will fool them.

¹⁴ But you, Timothy, must keep on doing the things you have learned. You know they are right. You know who taught them to you.

¹⁵ From the time you were a child you knew the holy writings. They showed you how to be saved by believing in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶ All that is written in the holy writings comes from the Spirit of God. The holy writings are good for these things: to teach people, to show them when they are wrong, to make them see what is right, to teach them to do what is right.

¹⁷ In this way a person who belongs to God has all he needs. He is ready for every kind of good work.

4 I say this before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge people who are living and people who are dead. I say this to you because he will come back and rule over all.

² Tell people the word of God. Be ready to do it at any time. Show people they are wrong and talk to them about it. Tell them what they should do. Be very patient with them and teach them in many ways.

³ The time is coming when people will not listen to good teaching. They will want to listen to the things they like to hear. And they will bring in many teachers who will teach them just what they want to do.

⁴ They will not listen to what is true, but will turn away and listen to strange stories.

⁵ But you, Timothy, must always be watching. Be patient in your troubles. Tell the good news. Do all the work God has given you to do.

⁶ My life is already being poured out as an offering to God. The time is here for me to leave this life.

⁷ I have fought the kind of fight that is good. I have reached the mark on the road that God wanted me to reach. And I have kept on believing in him.

⁸ From now on, my reward is waiting for me, because I have done what is right. The Lord will repay me on the day when he comes back. He judges the right way. I will not be the only one to get a reward from him. But he will repay all those who want very much to see him.

⁹ Try to come to me soon.

¹⁰ Demas has left me because he loved the things of this world. He has gone to the city of Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

¹¹ Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you. He helps me very much in my work.

¹² I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

¹³ I left a coat with Carpus in Troas. Bring it with you when you come, and also bring the books. But most of all, I want the written papers.

¹⁴ Alexander, the man who makes things from copper, did many wrong things to me. The Lord will punish him for what he has done.

¹⁵ You too must keep away from him, for he was very much against what we said.

¹⁶ The first time I spoke for myself in court, no one was on my side. All left me. I hope that God will forgive them.

¹⁷ But the Lord was with me. He gave me strength to tell the message. All those who are not Jews heard it. And I was saved out of the mouth of the lion.

¹⁸ The Lord will save me from every wrong thing. He will bring me safely into the kingdom of heaven. Praise him for ever and ever. Yes, he will!

¹⁹ Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, and to the people who belong to the house of Onesiphorus.

²⁰ Erastus stayed in the city of Corinth. Trophimus was sick when I left him at Miletus.

²¹ Try to come before the cold time of the year. Eubulus sends you greetings. So do Pudens, Linus, and Claudia and all the Christian brothers.

²² The Lord be with your spirit. May he in his kindness bless you. Amen. May it be so!