Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in accordance with the promise of the life that comes through union with Christ Jesus,

especially when I reflect upon the sincerity of your faith, and the attachment your grand-mother Lois first show'd, and then your mother Eunice, examples which I am persuaded you will follow.

The reason I am reminding you [of these things] is so that you will rekindle the gift from God, which is in your life through the laying on my hands. [Note: This "gift" was probably his ordination to serve as an evangelist (See 4:1-5), and in addition, may have included a supernatural "spiritual gift" bestowed by the apostle Paul].

May the Lord grant that he will find mercy on that day [i.e., the day of judgment]. And you know very well the many things he did to serve [me while I was] at Ephesus.

The things you learned from me before many witnesses you must commit to trustworthy men who will be competent to teach others too.

No one in military service gets entangled in matters of everyday life; otherwise he will not please the one who recruited him.

Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he will not be crowned as the winner unless he competes according to the rules.

Keep on thinking about what I am saying, for the Lord will grant you understanding of it in all its phases.

This message is to be trusted: "If we indeed have died with Him, we will live with Him too.

"If we patiently endure, we will reign with Him too. If we disown Him, He will disown us too.

If we are without faith, still he keeps faith, for he will never be untrue to himself.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a workman that will not be put to shame, rightly dividing the word of truth.

But shun profane babblings, for they will advance to greater impiety,

and their message will spread like a cancer; men like Hymenaeus and Philetus,

So if a man will cleanse himself from these things, he will be an instrument for honorable uses, consecrated, useful for the Master, and ready for any good service.

Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

And the Lord's servant must not be a man of strife; he must be kind to everybody, a skilled teacher, a man who will not resent injuries;

He must correct those who are in opposition with courtesy and gentleness in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and be led to the knowledge of the truth [accurately understanding and welcoming it],

and they might recover their senses and escape from the devil's trap in which they have been caught by him to do his will.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.

For people will be selfish, avaricious, boastful, haughty, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, irreverent,

[and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good,

They will hate goodness, they will be treacherous, reckless, blinded with pride, lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God.

They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these.

always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so these also will withstand the truth; men corrupt in mind, rejected as it respects the faith.

But they will not make any more progress, for their folly will be evident to everybody, as theirs was.

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

But bad men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, misleading others and misled themselves.

All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage];

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

I give you orders, before God and Christ Jesus, who will be the judge of the living and the dead, and by his revelation and his kingdom;

For a time will come when they will not listen to wholesome teaching, but to gratify their own evil desires will surround themselves with teachers who teach to gratify their own evil desires, because their ears are itching so to be tickled,

and they will cease to listen to the truth and will turn to listen to myths.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure [from this world] is at hand and I will soon go free.

Now the crown for doing right awaits me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day, and not only me but also all who have loved His appearing.

only Luke is with me. take Mark and bring him with you; because he will be useful to me in the ministry.

Alexander, a worker in metal, did me ever so much harm. The Lord will repay him for what he did.

The Lord will rescue me from every wicked work and save me to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.