Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

For there are men who are not ruled by law; foolish talkers, false teachers, specially those of the circumcision,

Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

It has been said by one of themselves, by a prophet of their own, that ??"Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

not paying attention to Jewish myths and the commandments and rules of men who turn their backs on the truth.

Everything is pure [i.e., ceremonially acceptable] to the person who is pure [i.e., who has been cleansed by the blood of Christ], but to those who are [spiritually] corrupt, and do not believe [in Christ], nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted. [Note: This statement was intended to remove the physical restrictions imposed by the law of Moses].

They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

And thou -- be speaking what doth become the sound teaching;

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

And in all things show yourself to be an example of good works, with purity in doctrine [having the strictest regard for integrity and truth], dignified,

Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

not stealing [things, regardless of value], but proving themselves trustworthy, so that in every respect they will adorn and do credit to the teaching of God our Savior.

Training us so that, turning away from evil and the desires of this world, we may be living wisely and uprightly in the knowledge of God in this present life;

who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.

these things be speaking, and exhorting, and convicting, with all charge; let no one despise thee!

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

For, even we, used, at one time, to be - thoughtless, unyielding, deceived, in servitude unto manifold covetings and pleasures, in malice and envy, leading on, detestable, hating one another.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he poured out upon us richly by Jesus Christ our Saviour;

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

A sectarian man, after a first and second admonition be rejecting,

You know that such a person is twisted by sin and is conscious of it himself.

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

Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.

And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

to our beloved Appia, to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in your house, favour and peace be with you,

Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,

yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, though I be as I am, even Paul aged, and now in bonds for Jesus Christ's sake.

Once he proved to be useless, but now he is useful to you and me;

Though my desire was to keep him with me, to be my servant in the chains of the good news, in your place:

But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

It may be that he was separated from you for an hour, for this very reason, that you might have him back for ever,

not as a slave [only], but more than a slave, as a dearly loved brother. [He is that] to me especially, but how much more to you, both in a physical way [i.e., by continuing to serve as your slave] and in [the fellowship of] the Lord [i.e., now also as your brother in Christ].

If therefore thou holdest me to be a partner with thee, receive him as me;

and if he did hurt to thee, or doth owe anything, this to me be reckoning;

I, Paul, write [this] with my [own] hand: I will pay it back, lest I mention to you that {you owe me even your very self besides}.

So, brother, I would like to have your help in [the fellowship of] the Lord; cheer me up in Christ [i.e., by welcoming Onesimus back on good terms].

I am writing you, confident that you will be obedient [to my requests], and I know that you will do even more than I am asking [of you].

But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.

Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner for Christ Jesus, wishes to be remembered to you,

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

and when again He may bring in the first-born to the world, He saith, 'And let them bow before him -- all messengers of God;'

But God said [this] about the angels [Psa. 104:4 LXX], "He [i.e., God] makes His angels to be [like] winds and His servants [like] flames of fire." [Note: The idea is probably that angels obediently serve God's purpose similar to the way wind and lightening do].

But God says [this] about the Son [Psa. 97:7], "Your throne [i.e. kingdom], O God [Note: This term here is applied to Jesus], will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter [i.e., the standard for ruling] of your kingdom.

and - Thou, by way of beginning, Lord, the earth, didst found, and, the works of thy hands, are the heavens, -

They, shall perish, but, thou, abidest still, and, all, as a mantle, shall be worn out,

And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

But to which of the heavenly agents has he ever said, Sit thou by my right hand until I place thine enemies a footstool of thy feet?

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

For this reason [that is, because of God’s final revelation in His Son Jesus and because of Jesus’ superiority to the angels] we must pay much closer attention than ever to the things that we have heard, so that we do not [in any way] drift away from truth.

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.

For it was not for angels that he destined the control of that world to be, that we are speaking of.

and this is attested by a certain writer, who says, "what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him?

putting all things under his feet. Now by putting all things under him, the writer meant to leave nothing out of his control. But, as it is, we do not yet see all things controlled by man;

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For, both he that maketh holy, and they who are being made holy, are, all, of One; For which cause, he is not ashamed to be calling them, brethren,

saying, 'I will declare Thy name to my brethren, in the midst of an assembly I will sing praise to Thee;' and again, 'I will be trusting on Him;'

And again [He says],

“My trust and confident hope will be placed in Him.”

And again,

“Here I am, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself in a similar manner also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death—that is, the devil—

and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.

For he does not indeed take hold of angels by the hand, but he takes hold of the seed of Abraham.

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

It is as he suffered by his temptations that he is able to help the tempted.

Therefore, holy brethren, sharers with others in a heavenly invitation, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whose followers we profess to be.

For he hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that built the house hath more honor than the house.

For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

but Christ [was faithful] as a son over his house, whose house we are, if we hold fast to our confidence and the hope we can be proud of.

Be not hard of heart, as when you made me angry, on the day of testing in the waste land,

Where your fathers tried me by proving me, And saw my works forty years.

As I swore in My anger, they shall not be admitted to My rest" --

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

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

As it is said, Today if you will let his voice come to your ears, be not hard of heart, as when you made him angry.

For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

But, with whom, was be sore vexed forty years? Was it not with them who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the desert?

And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]?

And so we see that it was owing to lack of faith that they could not be admitted.

Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late.

For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard.