or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.

Some people have stepped aside from these things and turned to fruitless talking.

This charge then, I am laying upon you, Timothy, my son, according to the predictions formerly made concerning you. Fight the good fight in the spirit of these predictions,

Keeping faith, and being conscious of well-doing; for some, by not doing these things, have gone wrong in relation to the faith:

Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan to be so disciplined that they will stop their abusive speech.

And let these be proved first,

And let these also first be proven, then being blameless, let them serve as deacons.

These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee sooner,

speaking lies in hypocrisy. These are men whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron,

and they discourage marriage and enjoin abstinence from certain kinds of food; though God created these foods to be enjoyed thankfully by those who hold the Faith and have attained a full knowledge of the Truth.

If you continue to put these things before the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, ever feeding your own soul on the truths of the faith and of the fine teaching which you have followed.

Ever reject these profane and old womanish myths; and continually train yourself for the contest of godliness.

Continue to give these orders and to teach these truths.

Continue cultivating these things; be devoted to them, so that everybody will see your progress.

Make it your habit to pay close attention to yourself and your teaching. Persevere in these things, for if you do you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or grand children, let these learn first to shew piety at home,

But if any widow has children or children's children, let these see that it is right to take care of their family and their fathers and mothers: for this is pleasing in the eyes of God.

Continue to give these directions so that the people may be without reproach.

If anyone fails to provide for his own, and especially for those of his own family, he has denied the faith [by disregarding its precepts] and is worse than an unbeliever [who fulfills his obligation in these matters].

I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels, to carry out these instructions without prejudice and with perfect impartiality.

Likewise also the good works of some are manifest; and having these otherwise, it cannot be hid.

Those who have Christian masters must not pay them less respect because they are brothers; they must serve them all the better, because those who get the benefit of their service are believers and so are dear to them. These are the things that you must continue to teach and urge them to do.

These things teach and exhort. If any one teach otherwise, and adhere not to the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine which is according to godliness;

he is puffed up with conceit and knows nothing, but is doting about disputations and a strife of words. These give rise to envy, quarrels, railings, evil suspicions,

and incessant wrangling on the part of these corrupt-minded people who have lost all hold on the Truth, and who think of religion only as a source of gain.

but having food and covering we will be content with these.

But you, as a man of God, must be fleeing always from these things; you must constantly strive for uprightness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

to observe these precepts, to lead an unspotted life without reproof until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ,