For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,

Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.

Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones' sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

This saying is faithful: "For if we died with him, we will also live with him.

If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself."

But shun empty chatter, for they will proceed further in ungodliness,

Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor, and some for dishonor.

If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master's use, prepared for every good work.

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

For of these are those who creep into houses, and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be.

From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.

All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts;

For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come.

From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.

for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

of whom you also must beware; for he greatly opposed our words.

And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you;

For the overseer must be blameless, as God's steward; not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;

but given to hospitality, as a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled;

For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain's sake.

This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all mankind,

looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ;

who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,

For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis, for I have determined to winter there.

Send Zenas, the Law scholar, and Apollos on their journey speedily, that nothing may be lacking for them.

Let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they may not be unfruitful.

For I have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

yet for love's sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

I beg you for my child, whom I have become the father of in my chains, Onesimus,

whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News.

But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.

For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while, that you would have him forever,

Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

He is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification for sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

For to which of the angels did he say at any time, "You are my Son. Today have I become your father?" and again, "I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?"

Of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire."

Are not they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense;

For he did not subject the world to come, of which we speak, to angels.

But one has somewhere testified, saying, "What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him?

You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not see all things subjected to him, yet.

But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.

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

For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

For, truly, he did not come to help the angels, but to help the seed of Abraham.

Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house.

For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.

Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken,

where your fathers tested me and challenged me, and saw my works for forty years.

For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end:

For who, when they heard, rebelled? No, did not all those who came out of Egypt by Moses?

Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest.

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard did not profit them, because they were not united by faith with those who heard.

For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day, "God rested on the seventh day from all his works;"

For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.

There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his.

For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.

For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself.

For when by reason of the time you ought to be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food.

For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby.

But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.

For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it, and brings forth a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God;

But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this.

For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he swore by himself,

For men swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.

that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.

where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Now if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law.

For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.

For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.

for it is testified, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."

For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness

(for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

(for they indeed have been made priests without an oath), but he with an oath by him that says of him, "The Lord swore and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'"