1. Instructions on right belief

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God^a our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,^b
 2To Timothy^c my true son^d in the faith:
 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy Charged to Oppose False Teachers

 ³As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus^e so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines^f any longer ⁴or to devote themselves to myths^g and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations^h rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. ⁵The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heartⁱ and a good conscience and a sincere faith.^{j 6}Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. ⁷They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
 ⁸We know that the law is good^k if one uses it properly. ⁹We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels,^l the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine^{m 11}that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.ⁿ

The Lord’s Grace to Paul

 ¹²I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength,^o that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. ¹³Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor^p and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.^{q 14}The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly,^r along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.^s
 15Here is a trustworthy saying^t that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶But for that very reason I was shown mercy^u so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷Now to the King^v eternal, immortal, invisible,^w the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.^x

The Charge to Timothy Renewed

 ¹⁸Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you,^y so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,^{z 19}holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.^{a 20}Among them are Hymenaeus^v and Alexander^c , whom I have handed over to Satan^d to be taught not to blaspheme.

2. Instructions for the church

Instructions on Worship

2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ²for kings and all those in authority,^e that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants^f all people^g to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.^{h 5}For there is one Godⁱ and one mediator^j between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to^k at the proper time.^{l 7}And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher^m of the Gentiles.^n
 8Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands^o without anger or disputing. ⁹I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,^{p 10}but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
 ¹¹A woman^a should learn in quietness and full submission.^{q 12}I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;^b she must be quiet. ¹³For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. ¹⁵But women^c will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

3 Here is a trustworthy saying:^r Whoever aspires to be an overseer^s desires a noble task. ²Now the overseer is to be above reproach,^t faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,^u able to teach,^{v 3}not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,^w not a lover of money.^{x 4}He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full^a respect.^{y z 6}He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited^a and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ⁷He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.^b
 8In the same way, deacons^{a c} are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine,^d and not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁹They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.^{e 10}They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
 ¹¹In the same way, the women^b are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers^f but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
 ¹²A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well.^{g 13}Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Reasons for Paul’s Instructions

 ¹⁴Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, ¹⁵if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church^h of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶Beyond all question, the mysteryⁱ from which true godliness springs is great:
    He appeared in the flesh,^j
     was vindicated by the Spirit,^a
    was seen by angels,
     was preached among the nations,^k
    was believed on in the world,
     was taken up in glory.^l

3. Instructions for elders

4 The Spirit^m clearly says that in later timesⁿ some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits^o and things taught by demons. ²Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.^{p 3}They forbid people to marry^q and order them to abstain from certain foods,^r which God created^s to be received with thanksgiving^t by those who believe and who know the truth. ⁴For everything God created is good,^u and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
 ⁶If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters,^b you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith^v and of the good teaching that you have followed. ⁷Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales;^w rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things,^x holding promise for both the present life^y and the life to come. ⁹This is a trustworthy saying^z that deserves full acceptance. ¹⁰That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
 ¹¹Command and teach these things.^{a 12}Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example^b for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith^c and in purity. ¹³Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. ¹⁴Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy^d when the body of elders laid their hands on you.^{e 15}Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

5 ¹⁶Do not rebuke an older man^f harshly,^g but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men^h as brothers, ²older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
 ³Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.^{i 4}But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents,^j for this is pleasing to God.^{k 5}The widow who is really in need^l and left all alone puts her hope in God^m and continues night and day to prayⁿ and to ask God for help. ⁶But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.^{o 7}Give the people these instructions,^p so that no one may be open to blame. ⁸Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied^q the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
 ⁹No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, ¹⁰and is well known for her good deeds,^r such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet^s of the Lord's people, helping those in trouble^t and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
 ¹¹As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. ¹²Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. ¹³Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies^u who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. ¹⁴So I counsel younger widows to marry,^v to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.^{w 15}Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.^x
 16If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.^y
 17The elders^z who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,^a especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”^{a b} and “The worker deserves his wages.”^{b c 19}Do not entertain an accusation against an elder^d unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. ²⁰But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove^f before everyone, so that the others may take warning.^{g 21}I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus^h and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
 ²²Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands,ⁱ and do not share in the sins of others.^j Keep yourself pure.
 ²³Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine^k because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
 ²⁴The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. ²⁵In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

6 ²⁵All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect,^l so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered.^{m 2}Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers.ⁿ Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare^a of their slaves.

False Teachers and the Love of Money

 ²These are the things you are to teach and insist on. ³If anyone teaches otherwise^p and does not agree to the sound instruction^q of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, ⁴they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words^r that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions ⁵and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth^s and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
 ⁶But godliness with contentment^t is great gain.^{u 7}For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.^{v 8}But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.^{w 9}Those who want to get rich^x fall into temptation and a trap^y and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money^z is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith^a and pierced themselves with many griefs. Final Charge to Timothy
 ¹¹But you, man of God,^b flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,^c endurance and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight^d of the faith. Take hold of^e the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate^f made the good confession, I charge you^{g 14}to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed^h and only Ruler,ⁱ the King of kings and Lord of lords,^{g 16}who alone is immortal^k and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.^l To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
 ¹⁷Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,^m which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,ⁿ who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.^{o 18}Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,^p and to be generous and willing to share.^{q 19}In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves^r as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
 ²⁰Timothy, guard what has been entrusted^s to your care. Turn away from godless chatter^t and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.^u
 Grace be with you all.