Beginning

Guard the Treasure Entrusted to You

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of ^(B)Christ Jesus ^[a](C)by the will of God, according to the promise of ^(D)life in Christ Jesus,

² To ^(E)Timothy, my beloved ^(F)child: ^(G)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

^3 (H)I am grateful to God, whom I ^(I)serve with a ^(J)clear conscience ^[b]the way my forefathers did, ^(K)as I unceasingly remember you in my ^[c]prayers night and day, ^4 (L)longing to see you, ^(M)having remembered your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, ^5 [d]being reminded of the ^(N)unhypocritical faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and ^(O)your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that it is in you as well. ⁶ For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh ^(P)the gift of God which is in you through ^(Q)the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God has not given us a ^(R)spirit of ^[e]timidity, but of power and love and ^[f]self-discipline.

⁸ Therefore ^(S)do not be ashamed of either the ^(T)witness about our Lord or me ^(U)His prisoner, but join with me in ^(V)suffering for the ^(W)gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has ^(X)saved us and ^(Y)called us with a holy ^(Z)calling, ^(AA)not according to our works, but according to His own ^(AB)purpose and grace which was given to us in ^(AC)Christ Jesus from ^(AD)all eternity, ¹⁰ but ^(AE)now has been manifested by the ^(AF)appearing of our Savior ^(AG)Christ Jesus, who ^(AH)abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ^11 (AI)for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. ¹² For this reason I also suffer these things, but ^(AJ)I am not ashamed; for I know ^(AK)whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to ^(AL)guard what I have entrusted to Him ^[g]until ^(AM)that day. ^13 [h](AN)Hold to the ^(AO)standard of ^(AP)sound words ^(AQ)which you have heard from me, in the ^(AR)faith and love which are in ^(AS)Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard, through the Holy Spirit who ^(AT)dwells in us, the ^[i](AU)treasure which has been entrusted to you.

¹⁵ You are aware of this: that all who are in ^(AV)Asia ^(AW)turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ The Lord give mercy to ^(AX)the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and ^(AY)was not ashamed of my ^[j](AZ)chains, ¹⁷ but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me— ¹⁸ the Lord ^[k]grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on ^(BA)that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at ^(BB)Ephesus.

Remember Jesus Christ

2 You therefore, my ^(BC)child, ^(BD)be strong in the grace that is in ^(BE)Christ Jesus. ² And the things ^(BF)which you have heard from me in the presence of ^(BG)many witnesses, ^(BH)entrust these to ^(BI)faithful men who will be ^(BJ)able to teach others also. ^3 (BK)Suffer hardship with me, as a good ^(BL)soldier of ^(BM)Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier in active service ^(BN)entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. ⁵ And also if anyone ^(BO)competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ^6 (BP)The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. ⁷ Understand what I say, for the Lord will give you insight in everything.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, ^(BQ)risen from the dead, of the ^(BR)seed of David, ^(BS)according to my gospel, ^9 [l]for which I ^(BT)endure hardship even to ^(BU)chains as a ^(BV)criminal. But ^(BW)the word of God ^(BX)has not been chained. ¹⁰ For this reason ^(BY)I endure all things for ^(BZ)the sake of the elect, ^(CA)so that they also may obtain the ^(CB)salvation, which is in ^(CC)Christ Jesus, with ^(CD)eternal glory. ^11 (CE)It is a trustworthy saying:

Accurately Handle the Word of Truth

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, solemnly ^(CK)charging them in the presence of God not to ^(CL)dispute about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. ¹⁵ Be diligent to ^(CM)present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling ^(CN)the word of truth. ¹⁶ But ^(CO)avoid ^(CP)godless and empty chatter, for ^[m]it will lead to further ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their word will spread like ^[n]gangrene. Among them are ^(CQ)Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have gone astray from the truth saying that ^(CR)the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset ^(CS)the faith of some. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, the ^(CT)firm foundation of God stands, having this ^(CU)seal, “^(CV)The ^[o]Lord knows those who are His,” and, “^(CW)Everyone who names the name of the ^[p]Lord is to ^(CX)depart from wickedness.”

²⁰ Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of clay, and ^(CY)some to honor and some to dishonor. ²¹ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from ^(CZ)these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, having been ^(DA)prepared for every good work. ²² Now ^(DB)flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, ^(DC)faith, love, and peace, with those who ^(DD)call on the Lord ^(DE)from a pure heart. ²³ But refuse foolish and ignorant ^(DF)speculations, knowing that they ^(DG)produce ^[q]quarrels. ^24 (DH)And the Lord’s slave must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, ^(DI)able to teach, patient when wronged, ^25 (DJ)with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, ^(DK)if perhaps God may give them repentance leading to ^(DL)the full knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(DM)the snare of the devil, having been ^(DN)held captive ^[r]by him to do his will.

Difficult Times Will Come

3 But know this, that ^(DO)in the last days difficult times will come. ² For men will be ^(DP)lovers of self, ^(DQ)lovers of money, ^(DR)boastful, ^(DS)arrogant, ^(DT)blasphemers, ^(DU)disobedient to parents, ^(DV)ungrateful, ^(DW)unholy, ^3 (DX)unloving, irreconcilable, ^[s](DY)malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, ^(DZ)without love for good, ^4 (EA)treacherous, ^(EB)reckless, ^(EC)conceited, ^(ED)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to a form of ^[t](EE)godliness, but having ^(EF)denied its power. ^(EG)Keep away from such men as these. ⁶ For among them are those who ^[u](EH)enter into households and take captive ^[v](EI)weak women weighed down with sins, being led on by ^(EJ)various desires, ⁷ always learning and never able to ^(EK)come to the ^[w]full knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as ^(EL)Jannes and Jambres ^(EM)opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, ^(EN)men of depraved mind, disqualified in regard to the faith. ⁹ But they will not make further progress, for their ^(EO)folly will be obvious to all, just ^(EP)as theirs was also.

¹⁰ But you ^(EQ)followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, ^(ER)love, ^[x]perseverance, ^11 (ES)persecutions, and ^(ET)sufferings, such as happened to me at ^(EU)Antioch, at ^(EV)Iconium, and at ^(EW)Lystra. What ^(EX)persecutions I endured, and out of them all ^(EY)the Lord rescued me! ¹² Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus ^(EZ)will be persecuted.

¹³ But evil men and impostors ^(FA)will proceed from bad to worse, ^(FB)deceiving and being deceived.

¹⁴ But you, ^(FC)continue in the things you learned and became convinced of, knowing from whom you learned them, ¹⁵ and that ^(FD)from childhood you have known ^(FE)the sacred writings which are able to ^(FF)make you wise unto ^(FG)salvation through faith which is in ^(FH)Christ Jesus. ^16 (FI)All Scripture is ^[y]God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for ^[z]training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that ^(FJ)the man of God may be equipped, having been ^(FK)thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Preach the Word

4 ^(FL)I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to ^(FM)judge the living and the dead, and by His ^(FN)appearing and His kingdom: ² preach ^(FO)the word; be ready in season and out of season; ^(FP)reprove, rebuke, exhort, with ^[aa]great ^(FQ)patience and teaching. ³ For ^(FR)the time will come when they will not endure ^(FS)sound doctrine, but wanting to have ^[ab]their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, ⁴ and ^(FT)will turn away their ears from the truth and ^(FU)will turn aside to myths.

⁵ But you, ^(FV)be sober in all things, ^(FW)endure hardship, do the work of an ^(FX)evangelist, fulfill your ^(FY)ministry.

⁶ For I am already being ^(FZ)poured out as a drink offering, and the time of ^(GA)my departure has come. ^7 (GB)I have fought the good fight, I have finished ^(GC)the course, I have kept ^(GD)the faith. ⁸ In the future there ^(GE)is laid up for me ^(GF)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on ^(GG)that day, and not only to me, but also to ^(GH)all who have loved His ^(GI)appearing.

Personal Concerns

^9 (GJ)Be diligent to come to me soon, ¹⁰ for ^(GK)Demas, having loved ^(GL)this present age, has deserted me and gone to ^(GM)Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to ^[ac](GN)Galatia, ^(GO)Titus to Dalmatia. ^11 (GP)Only ^(GQ)Luke is with me. Pick up ^(GR)Mark and bring him with you, ^(GS)for he is useful to me for service. ¹² But ^(GT)Tychicus I sent to ^(GU)Ephesus. ¹³ When you come bring the cloak which I left at ^(GV)Troas with Carpus, and the scrolls, especially the parchments. ^14 (GW)Alexander the coppersmith showed me much harm; ^(GX)the Lord will award him according to his deeds. ¹⁵ Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our words.

¹⁶ At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me. ^(GY)May it not be counted against them. ¹⁷ But the Lord stood with me and ^(GZ)strengthened me, so that through me ^(HA)the preaching might be ^(HB)fulfilled, and that all ^(HC)the Gentiles might hear. And I was ^(HD)rescued out of ^(HE)the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will ^(HF)save me unto His ^(HG)heavenly kingdom; ^(HH)to ^[ad]Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁹ Greet Prisca and ^(HI)Aquila, and ^(HJ)the household of Onesiphorus. ^20 (HK)Erastus remained at ^(HL)Corinth, but ^(HM)Trophimus I left sick at ^(HN)Miletus. ^21 (HO)Be diligent to come before ^(HP)winter. Eubulus greets you, also Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.

^22 (HQ)The Lord be with your spirit. ^(HR)Grace be with ^[ae]all of you.