In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead,(A) and in view of his appearing(B) and his kingdom, I give you this charge:(C) Preach(D) the word;(E) be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke(F) and encourage(G)—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.(H) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.(I) They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.(J) But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,(K) do the work of an evangelist,(L) discharge all the duties of your ministry.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering,(M) and the time for my departure is near.(N) I have fought the good fight,(O) I have finished the race,(P) I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me(Q) the crown of righteousness,(R) which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day(S)—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.(T)

Personal Remarks

Do your best to come to me quickly,(U) 10 for Demas,(V) because he loved this world,(W) has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.(X) Crescens has gone to Galatia,(Y) and Titus(Z) to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke(AA) is with me.(AB) Get Mark(AC) and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus(AD) to Ephesus.(AE) 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas,(AF) and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

14 Alexander(AG) the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.(AH) 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.(AI) 17 But the Lord stood at my side(AJ) and gave me strength,(AK) so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.(AL) And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.(AM) 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack(AN) and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.(AO) To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(AP)

Final Greetings

19 Greet Priscilla[a] and Aquila(AQ) and the household of Onesiphorus.(AR) 20 Erastus(AS) stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus(AT) sick in Miletus.(AU) 21 Do your best to get here before winter.(AV) Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.[b]

22 The Lord be with your spirit.(AW) Grace be with you all.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 4:19 Greek Prisca, a variant of Priscilla
  2. 2 Timothy 4:21 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.

Psalm 112[a]

Praise the Lord.[b](A)

Blessed are those(B) who fear the Lord,(C)
    who find great delight(D) in his commands.

Their children(E) will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches(F) are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures(G) forever.
Even in darkness light dawns(H) for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.(I)
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,(J)
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken;(K)
    they will be remembered(L) forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast,(M) trusting in the Lord.(N)
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;(O)
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.(P)
They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,(Q)
    their righteousness endures(R) forever;
    their horn[c] will be lifted(S) high in honor.

10 The wicked will see(T) and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth(U) and waste away;(V)
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.(W)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 112:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 112:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  3. Psalm 112:9 Horn here symbolizes dignity.

The Lord’s Devastation of the Earth

24 See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth(A)
    and devastate(B) it;
he will ruin its face
    and scatter(C) its inhabitants—
it will be the same
    for priest as for people,(D)
    for the master as for his servant,
    for the mistress as for her servant,
    for seller as for buyer,(E)
    for borrower as for lender,
    for debtor as for creditor.(F)
The earth will be completely laid waste(G)
    and totally plundered.(H)
The Lord has spoken(I) this word.

The earth dries up(J) and withers,(K)
    the world languishes and withers,
    the heavens(L) languish with the earth.(M)
The earth is defiled(N) by its people;
    they have disobeyed(O) the laws,
violated the statutes
    and broken the everlasting covenant.(P)
Therefore a curse(Q) consumes the earth;
    its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,(R)
    and very few are left.
The new wine dries up(S) and the vine withers;(T)
    all the merrymakers groan.(U)
The joyful timbrels(V) are stilled,
    the noise(W) of the revelers(X) has stopped,
    the joyful harp(Y) is silent.(Z)
No longer do they drink wine(AA) with a song;
    the beer is bitter(AB) to its drinkers.
10 The ruined city(AC) lies desolate;(AD)
    the entrance to every house is barred.
11 In the streets they cry out(AE) for wine;(AF)
    all joy turns to gloom,(AG)
    all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.
12 The city is left in ruins,(AH)
    its gate(AI) is battered to pieces.
13 So will it be on the earth
    and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,(AJ)
    or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.(AK)

14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy;(AL)
    from the west(AM) they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.
15 Therefore in the east(AN) give glory(AO) to the Lord;
    exalt(AP) the name(AQ) of the Lord, the God of Israel,
    in the islands(AR) of the sea.
16 From the ends of the earth(AS) we hear singing:(AT)
    “Glory(AU) to the Righteous One.”(AV)

But I said, “I waste away, I waste away!(AW)
    Woe(AX) to me!
The treacherous(AY) betray!
    With treachery the treacherous betray!(AZ)
17 Terror(BA) and pit and snare(BB) await you,
    people of the earth.(BC)
18 Whoever flees(BD) at the sound of terror
    will fall into a pit;(BE)
whoever climbs out of the pit
    will be caught in a snare.(BF)

The floodgates of the heavens(BG) are opened,
    the foundations of the earth shake.(BH)
19 The earth is broken up,(BI)
    the earth is split asunder,(BJ)
    the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth reels like a drunkard,(BK)
    it sways like a hut(BL) in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion(BM)
    that it falls(BN)—never to rise again.(BO)

21 In that day(BP) the Lord will punish(BQ)
    the powers(BR) in the heavens above
    and the kings(BS) on the earth below.
22 They will be herded together
    like prisoners(BT) bound in a dungeon;(BU)
they will be shut up in prison
    and be punished[a] after many days.(BV)
23 The moon will be dismayed,
    the sun(BW) ashamed;
for the Lord Almighty will reign(BX)
    on Mount Zion(BY) and in Jerusalem,
    and before its elders—with great glory.(BZ)

Praise to the Lord

25 Lord, you are my God;(CA)
    I will exalt you and praise your name,(CB)
for in perfect faithfulness(CC)
    you have done wonderful things,(CD)
    things planned(CE) long ago.
You have made the city a heap of rubble,(CF)
    the fortified(CG) town a ruin,(CH)
the foreigners’ stronghold(CI) a city no more;
    it will never be rebuilt.(CJ)
Therefore strong peoples will honor you;(CK)
    cities of ruthless(CL) nations will revere you.
You have been a refuge(CM) for the poor,(CN)
    a refuge for the needy(CO) in their distress,
a shelter from the storm(CP)
    and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless(CQ)
    is like a storm driving against a wall
    and like the heat of the desert.
You silence(CR) the uproar of foreigners;(CS)
    as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless(CT) is stilled.

On this mountain(CU) the Lord Almighty will prepare
    a feast(CV) of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.(CW)
On this mountain he will destroy
    the shroud(CX) that enfolds all peoples,(CY)
the sheet that covers all nations;
    he will swallow up death(CZ) forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears(DA)
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace(DB)
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.(DC)

In that day(DD) they will say,

“Surely this is our God;(DE)
    we trusted(DF) in him, and he saved(DG) us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
    let us rejoice(DH) and be glad in his salvation.”(DI)

10 The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain;(DJ)
    but Moab(DK) will be trampled in their land
    as straw is trampled down in the manure.
11 They will stretch out their hands in it,
    as swimmers stretch out their hands to swim.
God will bring down(DL) their pride(DM)
    despite the cleverness[b] of their hands.
12 He will bring down your high fortified walls(DN)
    and lay them low;(DO)
he will bring them down to the ground,
    to the very dust.

A Song of Praise

26 In that day(DP) this song will be sung(DQ) in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;(DR)
    God makes salvation
    its walls(DS) and ramparts.(DT)
Open the gates(DU)
    that the righteous(DV) nation may enter,
    the nation that keeps faith.
You will keep in perfect peace(DW)
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust(DX) in you.
Trust(DY) in the Lord forever,(DZ)
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock(EA) eternal.
He humbles those who dwell on high,
    he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground(EB)
    and casts it down to the dust.(EC)
Feet trample(ED) it down—
    the feet of the oppressed,(EE)
    the footsteps of the poor.(EF)

The path of the righteous is level;(EG)
    you, the Upright One,(EH) make the way of the righteous smooth.(EI)
Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,[c](EJ)
    we wait(EK) for you;
your name(EL) and renown
    are the desire of our hearts.
My soul yearns for you in the night;(EM)
    in the morning my spirit longs(EN) for you.
When your judgments(EO) come upon the earth,
    the people of the world learn righteousness.(EP)
10 But when grace is shown to the wicked,(EQ)
    they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil(ER)
    and do not regard(ES) the majesty of the Lord.
11 Lord, your hand is lifted high,(ET)
    but they do not see(EU) it.
Let them see your zeal(EV) for your people and be put to shame;(EW)
    let the fire(EX) reserved for your enemies consume them.

12 Lord, you establish peace(EY) for us;
    all that we have accomplished you have done(EZ) for us.
13 Lord our God, other lords(FA) besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name(FB) alone do we honor.(FC)
14 They are now dead,(FD) they live no more;
    their spirits(FE) do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;(FF)
    you wiped out all memory of them.(FG)
15 You have enlarged the nation, Lord;
    you have enlarged the nation.(FH)
You have gained glory for yourself;
    you have extended all the borders(FI) of the land.

16 Lord, they came to you in their distress;(FJ)
    when you disciplined(FK) them,
    they could barely whisper(FL) a prayer.[d]
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth(FM)
    writhes and cries out in her pain,
    so were we in your presence, Lord.
18 We were with child, we writhed in labor,
    but we gave birth(FN) to wind.
We have not brought salvation(FO) to the earth,
    and the people of the world have not come to life.(FP)

19 But your dead(FQ) will live, Lord;
    their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust(FR)
    wake up and shout for joy—
your dew(FS) is like the dew of the morning;
    the earth will give birth to her dead.(FT)

20 Go, my people, enter your rooms
    and shut the doors(FU) behind you;
hide(FV) yourselves for a little while
    until his wrath(FW) has passed by.(FX)
21 See, the Lord is coming(FY) out of his dwelling(FZ)
    to punish(GA) the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood(GB) shed on it;
    the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 24:22 Or released
  2. Isaiah 25:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Isaiah 26:8 Or judgments
  4. Isaiah 26:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

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