Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God our Saviour and Christ Jesus our hope:

such a charge will produce that charity, which arises from purity, from a good conscience, and a sincere belief:

I give you this instruction, my son Timothy, in keeping with the previously spoken prophecies [i.e., predictions] about you, so that by [following] them you will fight the good battle,

keeping hold of faith and a good conscience. Certain individuals have scouted the good conscience and thus come to grief over their faith ??20 including Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have made over to Satan. That will teach them to stop their blasphemous ongoings!

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

My desire is, first of all, that you will make requests and prayers and give praise for all men;

This will be good and acceptable in the eyes of God, our Savior,

whose will it is that all men should be saved, and come into full knowledge of the truth.

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

In like manner, also, I will that the women adorn themselves with decorous dress, with modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly raiment,

But women will be saved through motherhood, if they continue to live in faith, love, and purity, blended with good sense.

ruling well his own house, having his children in subjection with all dignity,??5 but if any one knows not how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God???6 not a novice, lest being inflated with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

(but if any man knows not how to rule his own house, how will he take care of a congregation of God?),

He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact.

He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

For those who serve well will acquire to themselves a good standing, and much boldness in the faith in Christ Jesus.

But if I am long in coming, this will make clear to you what behaviour is right for men in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of what is true.

Now the Spirit distinctly declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, because they continuously give their attention to deceiving spirits and the things that demons teach

[Such teaching will be spread] by hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared over as with a hot iron [i.e., making them insensitive to their guilt].

They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know 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.

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.

Reinforce these commands, so that they will be beyond reproach.

But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;

and will therefore receive condemnation because they have renounced their original pledge.

I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will also be afraid.

All who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters to be worthy of all respect, so that God’s name and His teaching will not be blasphemed.

If we have food and clothes we will be satisfied.

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

That thou keep the commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, Which in his times the blessed and only Potentate will shew,

which will be brought about in His own time by the blessed, only Sovereign, the King of kings, the Lord of lords,

In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.