Paul, by God's will an apostle of Christ Jesus in fulfilment of the promise of that life which is found in union with Christ Jesus,

to my dear child Timothy; God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord bless you and be merciful to you and give you peace.

So you must not be ashamed to testify to our Lord, nor be ashamed of me who am in prison for his sake, but join with me in suffering for the good news, through the power of God.

The Lord grant that he may be shown mercy by the Lord on that Day! And you know well enough how he helped me at Ephesus.

The things you learned from me before many witnesses you must commit to trustworthy men who will be capable of teaching others.

The farmer who does the work ought to be the first to have some of the produce.

If we are unfaithful, he will remain faithful, for he cannot be false to himself!"

Do your best to win God's approval as a workman who has nothing to be ashamed of, but rightly shapes the message of truth.

So if a man will cleanse himself from these things, he will be put to great uses, consecrated and used by the master of the house himself, and ready for any good use.

and a slave of the Lord must not quarrel, but treat everyone kindly; he must be persuasive and unresentful,

Understand this, that in the last days there are going to be hard times.

People will be selfish, avaricious, boastful, arrogant, abusive, undutiful, ungrateful, irreverent,

But everyone who wants to live a godly life as a follower of Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

But you must stand by what you have learned and been convinced of, and remember from whom you learned it,

so that the man of God will be adequate, and equipped for any good work.

I charge you in the sight of God and Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom,

preach the message; be at it in season and out of season; convince, reprove, exhort people, with perfect patience and willingness to teach.

But you must always be composed; do not shrink from hardship; do your work as a missionary, and your whole duty as a minister.

You too must be on your guard against him, for he vehemently opposed my teaching.

But the Lord stood by me, and gave me strength, so that I might make a full presentation of the message and let all the heathen hear it. So I was saved from the jaws of the lion.

The Lord will rescue me from any harm and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus wishes to be remembered to you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

The Lord be with your spirit. God bless you all.