For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.

For at the Coming of the Lord there will be great activity on the part of Satan, in the form of all kinds of deceptive miracles, signs, and marvels, as well as of wicked attempts to delude--

For the rest, my brothers, let there be prayer for us that the word of the Lord may go forward with increasing glory, even as it does with you;

and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for there is not faith in all.

For you yourselves know that it is your duty to follow our example. There was no disorder in our lives among you,

For when we were with you, this we warned you of, that if there were any which would not work, that the same should not eat.

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

I beg you, as I did when I was on my way into Macedonia, to remain at Ephesus; that you may instruct certain people there not to teach new and strange doctrines,

and the attention they bestow on mere fables and endless pedigrees, such as lead to controversy rather than to a true stewardship for God, which only exists where there is faith. And I make the same request now.

For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

How true the saying is, and worthy of the fullest acceptance, that 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'! And there is no greater sinner than I!

Now, may there be honor and praise forever and ever to the eternal King, the immortal, invisible, only God. May it be so.

I exhort, then, first of all, there be made supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, for all men:

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

And let these first be put to the test; then let them become Deacons if there is nothing against them.

But the Spirit distinctly says that in later times there will be some who will fall away from the Faith, and devote their attention to misleading spirits, and to the teaching of demons,

Everything created by God is good, and there in nothing that need be rejected--provided only that it is received thankfully;

Physical exercise is of limited value, but Godliness is very dear, a pledge of life, both there and here.

Those are the points on which you should dwell, that there may be no call for your censure.

If there be any that provideth not for his own, and namely for them of his household, the same denieth the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

There are some who have already left us, to follow Satan.

But if any man or woman who believes hath widows their relations, let him provide for them, and let not the church be burdened; that there may be a sufficiency for the real widows.

Against an elder receive not an accusation unless where there are two or three witnesses.

The sins of some people are conspicuous, leading the way for them into judgment [so that they are clearly not qualified for ministry]; but the sins of others appear later [for they are hidden and follow behind them].

In like manner also there are good works that are evident; and such as are otherwise cannot be hid.

He alone possesses immortality [Note: That is, only God possesses an eternal existence, with neither beginning nor ending. See John 5:26], and lives in unapproachable light. No one has seen Him, or can see Him. May there be honor and never ending power to Him. May it be so.

for there are those who, while asserting their proficiency in it, have yet, as regards the Faith, gone altogether astray. God bless you all.

Do you, there fore, suffer evil, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

for which I have to suffer imprisonment as if I were a criminal. (But there is no prison for the word of God.)

Remind them [Note: This probably refers to the "trustworthy men" there at Ephesus. See 2:2] of these things [i.e., the truths just mentioned. Verses 8-13], solemnly urging them, in the presence of the Lord, not to argue over words, [for] it is useless and brings [only] ruin to those who listen to it.

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

But this know, that in the last days difficult times shall be there;

for of these there are those coming into the houses and leading captive the silly women, laden with sins, led away with desires manifold,

persecutions and sufferings. You know what kind of things happened to me at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra [See Acts 13:13-14:23], and what [severe] persecutions I experienced [there]. But the Lord rescued me from all of them.

I call to witness before God there fore, and the Lord Jesus Christ, being about to judge the living and the dead according to his appearance and his kingdom;

for there shall be a season when the sound teaching they will not suffer, but according to their own desires to themselves they shall heap up teachers -- itching in the hearing,

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

There is no one but Luke with me. Pick up Mark on your way, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me in my work.

Give diligence to come, before winter. There salute thee - Eubulus, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and allthe brethren.

I did not take you with me when I went away from Crete, so that you might do what was necessary to put things in order there, placing men in authority over the churches in every town, as I said to you;

wherever there is a man of blameless life, true to his one wife, having children who are themselves believers and are free from every reproach of profligacy or of stubborn self-will.

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

To the pure all things are pure: but to the corrupted and unbelieving there is nothing pure; yea, their mind and their conscience are polluted.

For there was a time when we also were deficient in understanding, obstinate, deluded, the slaves of various cravings and pleasures, spending our lives in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another.

When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.

Our people [i.e., the Christians there on Crete] also should learn to practice good deeds for meeting pressing needs, so that they can be productive [in the Lord's work].

May there be unearned favor to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

that there may be an operative communication of thy faith made known by every good thing, which is in you towards Jesus Christ.

There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;

along with [John] Mark [Note: This shows that Mark was now back in the good graces of Paul. See Acts 15:36-40], Aristarchus, Demas [Note: This man later deserted Paul. See II Tim. 4:10] and Luke, who are [also] my fellow-workers. [Note: These men, unlike Epaphras who was imprisoned with Paul, were free to minister for Christ there in Rome].

For this reason there is the more need for us to give attention to the things which have come to our ears, for fear that by chance we might be slipping away.

But there is a place where someone has testified, "What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him?

Thou hast placed all things beneath his feet.' This 'placing of everything' under man means that there was nothing which was not placed under him. As yet, however, we do not see everything placed under man.

There your ancestors tested me,

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Rather encourage one another daily--while there is a 'To-day'--to prevent any one among you from being hardened by the deceitfulness of Sin.

Therefore let us fear, [while there] remains a promise of entering into his rest, that none of you appear to fall short of [it].

Since, then, there is still a promise that some shall enter upon this Rest, and since those who were first told the Good News did not enter upon it, because of their disbelief,

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Concerning whom there is much word to us, and difficult to speak, since you are dull of hearing.

For when God made his oath to Abraham, because there was no greater oath, he made it by himself,

Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

He was without a father, or mother or a list of ancestors [i.e., there was no record of his family tree] and no [record of his] birth or death. Like the Son of God, he [appeared to] remain a priest perpetually.

But there is no doubt that the less gets his blessing from the greater.

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

for he who was there mention'd was of another tribe, none of whom ever gave attendance at the altar.

And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

(for the law [made] nothing perfect), but on the other hand [there is] the introduction of a better hope through which we draw near to God.

And it is true that there have been a great number of those priests, because death does not let them go on for ever;

For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one or an attempt to institute another one [the new covenant].

For, being dissatisfied with His people, God says, "'There are days coming,' says the Lord, 'When I will establish with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new Covenant--

And there shall be no need for them to teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying, Know the Lord. For all will know Me from the least of them to the greatest;

For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.

Behind the second veil there was another tabernacle [the inner one or second section] known as the Holy of Holies,

It contained the gold altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, covered with gold on all sides, in which there was a gold jar containing the manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.

In all this the holy Spirit was seeking to show that there was no free access to the sanctuary while the outer tent was still standing.

And on this account he is mediator of the new covenant, since there being death, unto the redemption of the transgressions unto the first covenant, those having been called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

For a testament is of force where there hath been death: for it doth never avail while he that made it liveth.

And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.

There was, therefore, a necessity that the copies of the things in Heaven should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves, with better sacrifices than these.

For if this had been possible, would there not have been an end of those offerings, because the worshippers would have been made completely clean and would have been no longer conscious of sins?

But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

and then there is added-- 'See, I have come to do thy will.' The former sacrifices are set aside to be replaced by the latter.

And has been waiting there from that time, till all who are against him are made a foot-rest for his feet.

Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

but a kind of awful and terrifying expectation of [divine] judgment and the fury of a fire and burning wrath which will consume the adversaries [those who put themselves in opposition to God].

For there is still but a short time and then "The coming One will come and will not delay.

By faith, a fuller sacrifice, did Abel, offer unto God, than Cain, - through which, he received witness that he was righteous, there being a witnessing upon his gifts, by God; and, through it, though he died, he yet is speaking.

Faith caused Enoch to be taken up from the earth without experiencing death; he could not be found, because God had taken him up. For before he was taken up there is evidence that he pleased God,

But where there is no faith it is impossible truly to please Him; for the man who draws near to God must believe that there is a God and that He proves Himself a rewarder of those who earnestly try to find Him.

By faith [with confidence in God and His word] Noah, being warned by God about events not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his family. By this [act of obedience] he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.

It was faith that made him go to live as an emigrant in the Promised Land--as in a strange country--living there in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who shared the promise with him.

Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.