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.

³⁵ Jesus was teaching people in the temple. He said, `How can the scribes say that Christ is David's son?

³⁶ The Holy Spirit spoke through David and he himself said: "The Lord said to my Lord, `Sit beside me until I make you master over your enemies.' "

³⁷ `So David calls Christ his Lord. How can Christ be David's son?' Most of the people were glad to hear Jesus' teaching.

³⁸ Jesus went on to teach them. He said, `Take care. Do not let the scribes fool you by the way they do things. They like to walk about with long gowns. They want people to greet them in the market.

³⁹ They want to sit in the front seats in the meeting houses. They want to sit in the best places at feasts.

⁴⁰ They take away the homes of women whose husbands are dead. They cover up the wrong things they do by talking to God a long time. They will be punished more!'

⁴¹ Jesus sat down in the temple near the place where people put in their money. He saw how the people put in money. Many rich people put in much money.

⁴² A poor woman, whose husband was dead, came. She put in two small pieces of money.

⁴³ Jesus called his disciples. He said, `I tell you the truth. This poor woman has given more money than all the other people.

⁴⁴ All these people had plenty of money and they gave only a part of it. She was poor and she gave everything she had. She has nothing left to live on.'