Things to Avoid

4 What leads to [the unending] ^[a]quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]? ² You are jealous and covet [what others have] and ^[b]your lust goes unfulfilled; so you ^[c]murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God].^{(A) 3} You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask ^[d]with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. ⁴ You adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose ^[e]that the [human] spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy?^{(B) 6} But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”^{(C) 7} So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]. ⁹ Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose].

¹¹ Believers, do not speak against or slander one another. He who speaks [self-righteously] against a brother or ^[f]judges his brother [hypocritically], speaks against the Law and judges the Law. If you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge of it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy [the one God who has the absolute power of life and death]; but who are you to [hypocritically or self-righteously] pass judgment on your neighbor?

¹³ Come now [and pay attention to this], you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and carry on our business and make a profit.” ^14 [g]Yet you do not know [the least thing] ^[h]about what may happen in your life tomorrow. [What is secure in your life?] You are merely a vapor [like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot] that is visible for a little while and then vanishes [into thin air]. ¹⁵ Instead ^[i]you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and we will do this or that.” ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast [vainly] in your pretension and arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.

Misuse of Riches

5 Come [quickly] now, you rich [who lack true faith and hoard and misuse your resources], weep and howl over the miseries [the woes, the judgments] that are coming upon you. ² Your wealth has rotted and is ruined and your [fine] clothes have become moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up your treasure in the last days [when it will do you no good]. ⁴ Look! The wages that you have [fraudulently] withheld from the laborers who have mowed your fields are crying out [against you for vengeance]; and the cries of the harvesters have come to the ears of ^[j]the Lord of Sabaoth.^{(D) 5} On the earth you have lived luxuriously and abandoned yourselves to soft living and led a life of wanton pleasure [self-indulgence, self-gratification]; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and have put to death the righteous man; he offers you no resistance.

Exhortation

⁷ So wait patiently, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits [expectantly] for the precious harvest from the land, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. ⁸ You too, be patient; strengthen your hearts [keep them energized and firmly committed to God], because the coming of the Lord is near. ⁹ Do not complain against one another, believers, so that you will not be judged [for it]. Look! The Judge is standing ^[k]right at the door. ¹⁰ As an example, brothers and sisters, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord [as His messengers and representatives]. ¹¹ You know we call those blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] who were steadfast and endured [difficult circumstances]. You have heard of the patient endurance of Job and you have seen the Lord’s outcome [how He richly blessed Job]. The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.^(E)

¹² But above all, my fellow believers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be [a truthful] yes, and your no be [a truthful] no, so that you may not fall under judgment.^(F)

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God]. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with ^[l]oil in the name of the Lord; ¹⁵ and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed ^[m]intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.^{(G) 18} Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].^(H)

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truth and falls into error and [another] one turns him back [to God], ²⁰ let the [latter] one know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save that one’s soul from death and cover a multitude of sins [that is, obtain the pardon of the many sins committed by the one who has been restored].

Correcting False Teaching

1 Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus by the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed) our Hope [the fulfillment of our salvation],

² to Timothy, my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ As I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain individuals not to teach any different doctrines, ⁴ nor to pay attention to legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation and meaningless arguments rather than advancing God’s program of instruction which is grounded in faith [and requires surrendering the entire self to God in absolute trust and confidence]. ⁵ But the goal of our instruction is love [which springs] from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶ Some individuals have wandered away from these things into empty arguments and useless discussions, ⁷ wanting to be teachers of the Law [of Moses], even though they do not understand the terms they use or the subjects about which they make [such] confident declarations.

⁸ Now we know [without any doubt] that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully and appropriately, ⁹ understanding the fact that law is not enacted for the righteous person [the one in right standing with God], but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for sexually immoral persons, for homosexuals, for ^[a]kidnappers and slave traders, for liars, for perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, ¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able for this, because He considered me faithful and trustworthy, putting me into service [for this ministry], ¹³ even though I was formerly a blasphemer [of our Lord] and a persecutor [of His church] and a shameful and outrageous and violent aggressor [toward believers]. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord [His amazing, unmerited favor and blessing] flowed out in superabundance [for me, together] with the faith and love which are [realized] in Christ Jesus. ^15 [b]This is a faithful and trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance and approval, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. ¹⁶ Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example or pattern for those who ^[c]would believe in Him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King of the ages [eternal], immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸ This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, so that [inspired and aided] by them you may fight the good fight [in contending with false teachers], ¹⁹ keeping your faith [leaning completely on God with absolute trust and confidence in His guidance] and having a good conscience; for some [people] have rejected [their moral compass] and have made a shipwreck of their faith. ²⁰ Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have ^[d]handed over to Satan, so that they will be disciplined and taught not to blaspheme.

A Call to Prayer

2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions (specific requests), prayers, intercessions (prayers for others) and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all people, ² for ^[e]kings and all who are in [positions of] high authority, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. ³ This [kind of praying] is good and acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who ^[f]wishes all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge and recognition of the [divine] truth. ⁵ For there is [only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself as a ransom [a substitutionary sacrifice to atone] for all, the testimony given at the right and proper time. ⁷ And for this matter I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying [when I say this]—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸ Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and disputing or quarreling or doubt [in their mind].

Women Instructed

⁹ Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves modestly and appropriately and discreetly in proper clothing, not with [elaborately] braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive clothes, ¹⁰ but instead adorned by good deeds [helping others], as is proper for women who profess to worship God. ¹¹ A woman must quietly receive instruction with all submissiveness. ¹² I do not allow a woman to ^[g]teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet [in the congregation]. ¹³ For Adam was formed first [by God from the earth], then Eve;^{(A) 14} and it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman who was led astray and ^[h]fell into sin.^{(B) 15} But women will be ^[i]preserved (saved) through [the pain and dangers of] the bearing of children ^[j]if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self-control and discretion.