But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has given us good news of your faith and love, and that you have happy memories of us, desiring greatly to see us, even as we do to see you;

Night and day requesting God again and again that we may see your face and make your faith complete.

So that your hearts may be strong and free from all sin before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more.

For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh;

So that every one of you may keep his body holy and in honour;

And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.

Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy.

But about loving the brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you in this letter: for you have the teaching of God that love for one another is right and necessary;

And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more;

And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders;

That you may be respected by those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope.

For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping.

For you yourselves have the knowledge that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

But you, my brothers, are not in the dark, for that day to overtake you like a thief:

Who was put to death for us, so that, awake or sleeping, we may have a part in his life.

And our desire is that you will keep control over those whose lives are not well ordered, giving comfort to the feeble-hearted, supporting those with little strength, and putting up with much from all.

I give orders in the name of the Lord that all the brothers are to be present at the reading of this letter.

So that we ourselves take pride in you in the churches of God for your untroubled mind and your faith in all the troubles and sorrows which you are going through;

At his coming, when he will have glory in his saints, and will be a cause of wonder in all those who had faith (because our witness among you had effect) in that day.

For this reason, you are ever in our prayers, that you may seem to our God such as may have a part in his purpose and that by his power he will make all his good purpose, and the work of faith, complete;

So that glory may be given to the name of our Lord Jesus through you, and you may have glory in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

That you may not be moved in mind or troubled by a spirit, or by a word, or by a letter as from us, with the suggestion that the day of the Lord is even now come;

Who puts himself against all authority, lifting himself up over all which is named God or is given worship; so that he takes his seat in the Temple of God, putting himself forward as God.

And then will come the revelation of that evil one, whom the Lord Jesus will put to death with the breath of his mouth, and give to destruction by the revelation of his coming;

And with every deceit of wrongdoing among those whose fate is destruction; because they were quite without that love of the true faith by which they might have salvation.

So that they all may be judged, who had no faith in what is true, but took pleasure in evil.

But it is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, loved by the Lord, because it was the purpose of God from the first that you might have salvation, being made holy by the Spirit and by faith in what is true:

And in this purpose he gave you a part through the good news of which we were the preachers, even that you might have part in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the rest, my brothers, let there be prayer for us that the word of the Lord may go forward with increasing glory, even as it does with you;

And that we may be made free from foolish and evil men; for not all have faith.

And we have faith in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things about which we give you orders.

Not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, so that you might do the same.

For it has come to our ears that there are some among you whose behaviour is uncontrolled, who do no work at all, but are over-interested in the business of others.

Now to such we give orders and make request in the Lord Jesus, that, working quietly, they get their living.

And if any man does not give attention to what we have said in this letter, take note of that man, and keep away from him, so that he may be shamed.

It was my desire, when I went on into Macedonia, that you might make a stop at Ephesus, to give orders to certain men not to put forward a different teaching,

We are conscious that the law is good, if a man makes a right use of it,

With the knowledge that the law is made, not for the upright man, but for those who have no respect for law and order, for evil men and sinners, for the unholy and those who have no religion, for those who put their fathers or mothers to death, for takers of life,

It is a true saying, in which all may put their faith, that Christ Jesus came into the world to give salvation to sinners, of whom I am the chief:

But for this reason I was given mercy, so that in me, the chief of sinners, Jesus Christ might make clear all his mercy, as an example to those who in the future would have faith in him to eternal life.

This order I give to you, Timothy my son, in harmony with the words of the prophets about you, so that by them you may be strong, fighting the good fight,

Such are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have given up to Satan, so that they may say no more evil words against God.

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

For kings and all those in authority; so that we may have a calm and quiet life in all fear of God and serious behaviour.

Whose desire is that all men may have salvation and come to the knowledge of what is true.

It is my desire, then, that in every place men may give themselves to prayer, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or argument.

And that women may be dressed in simple clothing, with a quiet and serious air; not with twisted hair and gold or jewels or robes of great price;

Not one newly taken into the church, for fear that, through his high opinion of himself, he may come into the same sin as the Evil One.

And he is to have a good name among those outside the church, so that nothing may be said against him and he may not be taken by the designs of the Evil One.

But the Spirit says clearly that in later times some will be turned away from the faith, giving their minds to spirits of deceit, and the teachings of evil spirits,

For the training of the body is of profit for a little, but religion is of profit in every way, giving hope for the life which now is, and for that which is to come.

Make use of that grace in you, which was given to you by the word of the prophets, when the rulers of the church put their hands on you.

Have a care for these things; give yourself to them with all your heart, so that all may see how you go forward.

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.

Give orders to this effect, so that no evil may be said of anyone.

If anyone has no care for his family and those in his house, he is false to the faith, and is worse than one who has no faith.

So it is my desire that the younger widows may be married and have children, controlling their families, and giving the Evil One no chance to say anything against them,

If any woman of the faith has relations who are widows, let her give them help, so that the care of them does not come on the church, and so it may give help to those who are truly widowed.

Say sharp words to sinners when all are present, so that the rest may be in fear.

I give you orders before God and Christ Jesus and the angels of God's selection, to keep these orders without giving thought to one side more than another.

Let all who are servants under the yoke give all honour to their masters, so that no evil may be said against the name of God and his teaching.

But if we have food and a roof over us, let that be enough.

Making ready for themselves a safe place for the time to come, so that the true life may be theirs.

O Timothy, take good care of that which is given to you, turning away from the wrong and foolish talk and arguments of that knowledge which is falsely so named;

Desiring to see you, keeping in my memory your weeping, so that I may be full of joy;

For this reason I say to you, Let that grace of God which is in you, given to you by my hands, have living power.

And for which I undergo these things: but I have no feeling of shame. For I have knowledge of him in whom I have faith, and I am certain that he is able to keep that which I have given into his care till that day.

That good thing which was given to you keep safe, through the Holy Spirit which is in us.

You have had news that all those in Asia went away from me; among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes:

(May he have the Lord's mercy in that day); and of all he did for me at Ephesus you have full knowledge.

And the things which I have said to you before a number of witnesses, give to those of the faith, so that they may be teachers of others.

A fighting man, when he is with the army, keeps himself free from the business of this life so that he may be pleasing to him who has taken him into his army.

But I undergo all things for the saints, so that they may have salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Men whose ideas are all false, who say that the coming back from the dead has even now taken place, overturning the faith of some.

And put away foolish and uncontrolled questionings, seeing that they are a cause of trouble.

But be certain of this, that in the last days times of trouble will come.

False to their friends, acting without thought, lifted up in mind, loving pleasure more than God;

But see that you keep to the teaching you have been given and the things of which you are certain, conscious of who has been your teacher;

And that from the time when you were a child, you have had knowledge of the holy Writings, which are able to make you wise to salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus.

So that the man of God may be complete, trained and made ready for every good work.

From now on, the crown of righteousness is made ready for me, which the Lord, the upright judge, Will give to me at that day: and not only to me, but to all those who have had love for his revelation.

But the Lord was by my side and gave me strength; so that through me the news might be given out in full measure, and all the Gentiles might give ear: and I was taken out of the mouth of the lion.

I did not take you with me when I went away from Crete, so that you might do what was necessary to put things in order there, placing men in authority over the churches in every town, as I said to you;

Men having a good record, husbands of one wife, whose children are of the faith, children of whom it may not be said that they are given to loose living or are uncontrolled.

Keeping to the true word of the teaching, so that he may be able to give comfort by right teaching and overcome the arguments of the doubters.

This witness is true. So say sharp words to them so that they may come to the right faith,

They say that they have knowledge of God, while by their acts they are turning their backs on him; they are hated by all, hard-hearted, and judged to be without value for any good work.

That old men are to be simple in their tastes, serious, wise, true in faith, in love, and of a quiet mind.

That old women are to be self-respecting in behaviour, not saying evil of others, not given to taking much wine, teachers of that which is good,

To be wise in mind, clean in heart, kind; working in their houses, living under the authority of their husbands; so that no evil may be said of the word of God.

In all things see that you are an example of good works; holy in your teaching, serious in behaviour,

Saying true and right words, against which no protest may be made, so that he who is not on our side may be put to shame, unable to say any evil of us.

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 gave himself for us, so that he might make us free from all wrongdoing, and make for himself a people clean in heart and on fire with good works.

Make clear to them that they are to put themselves under rulers and authorities, to do what they are ordered, to be ready for every good work,

So that, having been given righteousness through grace, we might have a part in the heritage, the hope of eternal life.

This is a true saying; and it is my desire that you may give certain witness about these things, so that those who have had faith in God may give attention to good works. These things are good and of profit to men;