Struggles in the Christian Life

¹⁰ But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose,^(A) faith, patience, love,^(B) and endurance, ¹¹ along with the persecutions and sufferings^(C) that came to me in Antioch,^(D) Iconium,^(E) and Lystra.^(F) What persecutions I endured—and yet the Lord rescued me from them all. ¹² In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.^{(G) 13} Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving^(H) and being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you,^{(I) 15} and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,^(J) which are able to give you wisdom for salvation^(K) through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God^[a](L) and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.^(M)

Fulfill Your Ministry

4 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge^(A) the living and the dead,^(B) and because of his appearing and his kingdom:^{(C) 2} Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. ³ For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine,^(D) but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. ⁴ They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.^{(E) 5} But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,^(F) fulfill your ministry.

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,^(G) and the time for my departure is close. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ There is reserved for me the crown^(H) of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,^(I) will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing.^[a](J)

Final Instructions

⁹ Make every effort to come to me soon,^(K)

Remember the Lord

8 “Carefully follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase, and may enter and take possession of the land^(A) the Lord swore to your ancestors. ² Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these forty years in the wilderness, so that he might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³ He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.^{(B) 4} Your clothing did not wear out, and your feet did not swell these forty years.^{(C) 5} Keep in mind that the Lord your God has been disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. ⁶ So keep the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. ⁷ For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land,^(D) a land with streams, springs, and deep water sources, flowing in both valleys and hills; ⁸ a land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; ⁹ a land where you will eat food without shortage, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and from whose hills you will mine copper. ¹⁰ When you eat and are full,^(E) you will bless the Lord your God for the good land^(F) he has given you.

¹¹ “Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commands, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today.

⁷ Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you.^(A) Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. ⁸ This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth;^(B) you are to meditate on^[a] it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.^{(C) 9} Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous?^(D) Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Trust the Lord

⁴ For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction,^(A) so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. ⁵ Now may the God who gives^[a] endurance and encouragement^(B) grant you to live in harmony with one another,^(C) according to Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ^(D) with one mind and one voice.