Command those [who are] rich in this present age not to be proud and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who provides us all [things] richly for enjoyment,

storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, in order that they may take hold of [what is] truly life.

for which reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.

For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and love and self-discipline.

Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor me his prisoner, but suffer along with [me] for the gospel, according to the power of God,

for which I was appointed a proclaimer and an apostle and a teacher,

for which reason also I suffer these [things]. But [I am] not ashamed, because I know in whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard [what] I have entrusted until that day.

Consider what I am saying, for the Lord will grant you understanding in all [these things].

Because of this, I endure all [things] for the sake of the chosen, in order that they also may obtain salvation [which is] in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

The saying [is] trustworthy: For if we died with [him], we will also live with [him];

But avoid pointless chatter, for it will progress to greater ungodliness,

Now in a great house [there] are not only gold and silver vessels, but also wooden and earthenware [ones], some of which [are] for honorable use, and some of which [are] for ordinary use.

Therefore, if someone cleanses himself from these [things], he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

for people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

hardhearted, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, savage, with no interest for what is good,

For from these are those who slip into houses and captivate foolish women loaded down with sins, led by various kinds of desires,

But they will not progress to a greater extent, for their folly will be quite evident to everyone, as also the [folly] of those [two] was.

and that from childhood you have known the holy writings that are able [to make] you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

All scripture [is] inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,

in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

For there will be a time when they will not put up with sound teaching, but in accordance with their own desires, they will accumulate for themselves teachers, {because they have an insatiable curiosity},

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is imminent.

Finally, the crown of righteousness is reserved for me, that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

For Demas deserted me, [because he] loved the present age, and went to Thessalonica. Crescens [went] to Galatia; Titus [went] to Dalmatia.

Luke alone is with me. Take along Mark [and] bring [him] with you, because he is useful to me for ministry.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will save [me] for his heavenly kingdom, to whom [be] the glory {forever and ever}. Amen.

Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of the chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth that [is] according to godliness,

For it is necessary [for] the overseer to be blameless as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain,

For there are many rebellious [people], idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

whom it is necessary to silence, whoever are ruining whole families [by] teaching [things] which must not be [taught] for the sake of dishonest gain.

This testimony is true, for which reason reprove them severely, in order that they may be sound in the faith,

They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny [him], [because they] are detestable and disobedient, and unfit for every good deed.

But you, speak [the things] which are fitting for sound instruction.

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

who gave himself for us, in order that he might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds.

Remind them to be subject to the rulers [and] to the authorities, to obey, to be prepared for every good work,

For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another.

But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Savior appeared,

The saying [is] trustworthy, and I want you to insist concerning these [things], so that those who have believed in God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and contentions and quarrels about the law, for they are useless and fruitless.

When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make haste to come to me in Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

But also our [people] must learn to engage in good deeds for necessary needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.

[because I] hear about your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.

[I pray] that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge [of] every good [thing] that [is] in us for Christ.

For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

whom I wanted to keep with me, in order that he might serve me on behalf of you during my imprisonment for the gospel.

But apart from your consent, I wanted to do nothing, in order that your good [deed] might be not as according to necessity, but according to [your own] free will.

For perhaps because of this, he was separated [from you] for a time, in order that you might have him back forever,

At the same time also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

who is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, sustaining all [things] by the word of power. [When he] had made purification for sins through him, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

For to which of the angels did he ever say, "You are my son, today I have begotten you," and again, "I will be {his father}, and he will be {my son}"?

And concerning the angels he says, "The one who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire,"

But to which of the angels has he ever said, "Sit down at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

Are they not all spirits engaged in special service, sent on assignment for the sake of those who are going to inherit salvation?

For if the word spoken through angels was binding and every transgression and act of disobedience received a just penalty,

For he did not subject to angels the world to come, about which we are speaking.

But someone testified somewhere, saying, "What is man, that you remember him, or the son of man, that you care for him?

You made him for a short [time] lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor;

you subjected all [things] under his feet. For in subjecting all [things], he left nothing [that was] not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all [things] subjected to him,

but we see Jesus, for a short [time] made lower than the angels, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that apart from God he might taste death on behalf of everyone.

For it was fitting for him for whom [are] all [things] and through whom [are] all [things] in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.

For both the one who sanctifies and the ones who are sanctified [are] all from one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

and could set free these who through fear of death were subject to slavery throughout all their lives.

For surely he is not concerned with angels, but he is concerned with the descendants of Abraham.

Therefore he was obligated to be made like his brothers in all [respects], in order that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in the things relating to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.

For in that which he himself suffered [when he] was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

For this one is considered worthy of greater glory than Moses, inasmuch as the one who builds it has greater honor than the house.

For every house is built by someone, but the one who built all [things] [is] God.

And Moses [was] faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony to the things that would be spoken,

[for] forty years. Therefore I was angry with this generation, and I said, 'They always go astray in their heart, and they do not know my ways.'

For we have become partners of Christ, if indeed we hold fast the beginning of [our] commitment steadfast until the end,

For who, [when they] heard [it], were disobedient? Surely [it was] not all who went out from Egypt through Moses?

And with whom was he angry [for] forty years? [Was it] not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?

Therefore let us fear, [while there] remains a promise of entering into his rest, that none of you appear to fall short of [it].

{For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us}, just as those also [did], but the message {they heard} did not benefit them, [because they] were not united with those who heard [it] in faith.

For we who have believed enter into rest, just as he has said, "As I swore in my anger, '{They will never enter} into my rest.'" And yet these works have been accomplished from the foundation of the world.

For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh [day] in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works,"

Since therefore it remains [for] some to enter into it, and the ones to whom the good news was proclaimed previously did not enter because of disobedience,

For if Joshua had caused them to rest, he would not have spoken about another day after these [things].

Consequently a sabbath rest remains for the people of God.

For the one who has entered into his rest has also himself rested from his works, just as God [did] from his own [works].

For the word of God [is] living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the reflections and thoughts of the heart.

For we do not have a high priest who is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but who has been tempted in all [things] in the same way, without sin.

For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of people in the things relating to God, in order that he can offer both gifts and sacrifices on behalf of sins,

and because of it he is obligated to offer [sacrifices] for sins {for himself also, as well as for the people}.

And someone does not take for himself the honor, but is called by God, just as Aaron also [was].

For indeed, [although you] ought to be teachers {by this time}, you have need of someone to teach you again the beginning elements of the oracles of God, and {you have need of} milk, not solid food.

For everyone who partakes of milk [is] unacquainted with the message of righteousness, because he is an infant.

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have trained their faculties for the distinguishing of both good and evil.

For [it is] impossible [concerning] those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become sharers of the Holy Spirit,

and having fallen away, to renew [them] again to repentance, [because they] have crucified again for themselves the Son of God and held him up to contempt.

For ground that drinks the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth vegetation usable to those [people] {for whose sake} [it is] also cultivated, shares a blessing from God.

But [if it] produces thorns and thistles, [it is] worthless and near to a curse, whose end [is] for burning.

For God [is] not unjust, [so as] to forget your work and the love which you demonstrated for his name [by] having served the saints, and continuing to serve [them].

And we desire each one of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of [your] hope until the end,

For [when] God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself,

For people swear by what is greater [than themselves], and the oath for confirmation [is the] end of all dispute for them.

in order that through two unchangeable things, in which [it is] impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge may have powerful encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before [us],

where Jesus, the forerunner for us, entered, [because he] became a high priest {forever} according to the order of Melchizedek.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham [as he] was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,