Book of Common Prayer

⁶ It is true that people are much better off if they live to please God and if they are satisfied.

⁷ When we were born, we brought nothing into this world, and when we die, we can take nothing out of the world.

⁸ If we have food and clothes, that should be enough.

⁹ People who want to be rich have trouble. They get caught in a trap. They want many foolish things which are wrong for them. Because of this, men are lost and punished for ever.

¹⁰ Because people love money they do all kinds of wrong things. Some people have stopped believing in God because they want money so much. And it brings them many troubles.

¹¹ But you belong to God, Timothy. Have nothing to do with all this. But do what is right. Do what God wants you to do. Believe in Christ. Be loving. Be patient. Be kind.

¹² Work hard at believing in God more and more. Make sure that you get everlasting life; God called you to have it. You stood before many people and said that you believed in Christ. That was the right thing to say.

¹³ Now we stand before God who gives life to all things. We stand before Christ who said what was right when he was in court before Pontius Pilate. I tell you to do this.

¹⁴ Do what you have been told to do. And do it so there will be nothing wrong, until our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

¹⁵ At the right time God will bring Christ back. Praise God! He alone is ruler. He is King over all kings, and Lord over all lords.

¹⁶ He alone has everlasting life. He lives in such light that no one can go near him. No person has ever seen him, or can see him. May he have honour and respect and have everlasting power. May it be so!

¹⁷ Tell the rich people in this world not to be proud. Tell them to trust in God not in short-lived riches. He gives us richly all things to make us happy.

¹⁸ Tell the rich people to do good. Tell them to do many good things. Tell them to give to other people, and to help those who are in need.

¹⁹ In this way they will store up good things for themselves for the time to come. Then they will get that life which really is the true life.

²⁰ Timothy, take good care of what has been given to you. Some teachers say they know many things, but these things are not true. Do not teach these foolish things that do not come from God. Do not teach these things that do not agree together.

²¹ Some men have believed these things and have stopped believing in Christ. May God bless all of you.

³⁶ Then Jesus left the people and went into the house. His disciples came to him. They said, `Tell us the meaning of the story about the weeds in the field.'

³⁷ Jesus answered, `The person who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

³⁸ The field is the world. The good seed means the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds mean those who belong to the bad one.

³⁹ The bad man who planted the weeds is the devil. The harvest time is the end of this world. The men who cut the harvest are angels.

⁴⁰ The weeds are gathered and burned in a fire. That is the way it will be at the end of the world.

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything that is bad and the people who do bad things. They will take them out of his kingdom.

⁴² They will put them into the big fire. There they will cry and make a noise with their teeth.

⁴³ Then the people who are right with God will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Everyone who has ears, listen.'