2 Timothy 3-4

New International Version

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.^(A) ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,^(B) boastful, proud,^(C) abusive,^(D) disobedient to their parents,^(E) ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous,^(F) rash, conceited,^(G) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵having a form of godliness^(H) but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.^(I)

⁶They are the kind who worm their way^(J) into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.^(K) ⁸Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,^(L) so also these teachers oppose^(M) the truth. They are men of depraved minds,^(N) who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men,^(O) their folly will be clear to everyone.

A Final Charge to Timothy

¹⁰You, however, know all about my teaching,^(P) my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, ¹¹persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch,^(Q) Iconium^(R) and Lystra,^(S) the persecutions I endured.^(T) Yet the Lord rescued^(U) me from all of them.^(V) ¹²In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,^(W) ¹³while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse,^(X) deceiving and being deceived.^(Y) ¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,^(Z) ¹⁵and how from infancy^(AA) you have known the Holy Scriptures,^(AB) which are able to make you wise^(AC) for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed^(AD) and is useful for teaching,^(AE) rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,^(AF) ¹⁷so that the servant of God^[a]^(AG) may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.^(AH)

4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead,^(AI) and in view of his appearing^(AJ) and his kingdom, I give you this charge:^(AK) ²Preach^(AL) the word;^(AM) be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke^(AN) and encourage^(AO)—with great patience and careful instruction. ³For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.^(AP) 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.^(AQ) ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.^(AR) ⁵But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,^(AS) do the work of an evangelist,^(AT) discharge all the duties of your ministry.

⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering,^(AU) and the time for my departure is near.^(AV) ⁷I have fought the good fight,^(AW) I have finished the race,^(AX) I have kept the faith. ⁸Now there is in store for me^(AY) the crown of righteousness,^(AZ) which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day^(BA)—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.^(BB)

Personal Remarks

⁹Do your best to come to me quickly,^(BC) ¹⁰for Demas,^(BD) because he loved this world,^(BE) has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.^(BF) Crescens has gone to Galatia,^(BG) and Titus^(BH) to Dalmatia. ¹¹Only Luke^(BI) is with me.^(BJ) Get Mark^(BK) and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. ¹²I sent Tychicus^(BL) to Ephesus.^(BM) ¹³When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas,^(BN) and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

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

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

Final Greetings

¹⁹Greet Priscilla^[b] and Aquila^(BY) and the household of Onesiphorus.^(BZ) ²⁰Erastus^(CA) stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus^(CB) sick in Miletus.^(CC) ²¹Do your best to get here before winter.^(CD) Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.^[c]

²²The Lord be with your spirit.^(CE) Grace be with you all.^(CF)

Footnotes

2 Timothy 3:17 Or that you, a man of God,
2 Timothy 4:19 Greek Prisca, a variant of Priscilla
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 72

New International Version

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

¹Endow the king with your justice,^(A) O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
²May he judge your people in righteousness,^(B)
your afflicted ones with justice.

³May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴May he defend the afflicted^(C) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;^(D)
    may he crush the oppressor.^(E)
⁵May he endure^[a]^(F) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.^(G)
⁶May he be like rain^(H) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
⁷In his days may the righteous flourish^(I)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

⁸May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River^[b]^(J) to the ends of the earth.^(K)
⁹May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰May the kings of Tarshish^(L) and of distant shores^(M)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba^(N) and Seba
    present him gifts.^(O)
¹¹May all kings bow down^(P) to him
    and all nations serve^(Q) him.

¹²For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
¹³He will take pity^(R) on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.
¹⁴He will rescue^(S) them from oppression and violence,
    for precious^(T) is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba^(U) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.^(V)
¹⁶May grain^(W) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops^(X) flourish like Lebanon^(Y)
    and thrive^[c] like the grass of the field.^(Z)
¹⁷May his name endure forever;^(AA)
    may it continue as long as the sun.^(AB)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,^[d]
and they will call him blessed.^(AC)

¹⁸Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,^(AD)
who alone does marvelous deeds.^(AE)
¹⁹Praise be to his glorious name^(AF) forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.^(AG)
Amen and Amen.^(AH)

²⁰This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.^(AI)

Footnotes

Psalm 72:5 Septuagint; Hebrew You will be feared
Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
Psalm 72:16 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lebanon, / from the city
Psalm 72:17 Or will use his name in blessings (see Gen. 48:20)