Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

For every creation of God is good and no food is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now :

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Honor widows who have no other family members to care for them.

Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

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

But if anyone does not provide for his own, that is his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

A widow is to be put on the list [to receive regular assistance] only if she is over sixty years of age, [having been] the wife of one man,

But to the younger widows say No: for when their love is turned away from Christ, they have a desire to be married;

And they get into the way of doing no work, going about from house to house; and not only doing no work, but talking foolishly, being over-interested in the business of others, saying things which they have no right to say.

I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household, give no occasion to the adversary for reviling:

For even now some are turned away to Satan.

If any woman is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. The church should not be burdened, so it can help those widows who have no other family members to care for them.

Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it is based on [the testimony of at least] two or three witnesses.

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

virtue wears no disguise, and vice cannot be long conceal'd.

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.

Those whose masters are Christian believers must not treat them with disrespect, because they are brothers; nay, rather slave for them the better because those who get the benefit of their services are believing and beloved. Continue to teach and preach this.

he is puffed up with pride and has no true knowledge, but is crazy over discussions and controversies about words which give rise to envy, quarrelling, revilings, ill-natured suspicions,

Now it is a great means of gain - godliness, with a sufficiency of ones own;

But you, man of God, run from these things,
and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, endurance, and gentleness.

Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

To the rich now in this life, proclaim not to be highminded, nor to be hoping upon the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, offering us all things richly for profit;

I remember your sincere and unqualified faith [the surrendering of your entire self to God in Christ with confident trust in His power, wisdom and goodness, a faith] which first lived in [the heart of] your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am confident that it is in you as well.

For this reason I now remind you to rekindle and keep burning the fire of the divine gift which came upon you when I laid my hands upon you.

Have no feeling of shame, then, for the witness of our Lord or for me, his prisoner: but undergo all things for the good news in the measure of the power of God;

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Of the gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher; and that is the reason I am now undergoing these sufferings.

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

You are aware of the fact that all who are in [the province of] Asia turned away and deserted me, Phygelus and Hermogenes among them.

May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus because he frequently gave me help, and had no feeling of shame because I was in chains;

but [instead] when he reached Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me—

may the Lord give to him to find kindness from the Lord in that day; and how many things in Ephesus he did minister thou dost very well know.

Now, my son, be strong in the grace of Christ Jesus,

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

And if any one takes part in an athletic contest, he gets no prize unless he obeys the rules.

Know what I say; for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.

for which I have to suffer imprisonment as if I were a criminal. (But there is no prison for the word of God.)

But God's message is no prisoner. That is why I endure everything for the sake of the chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

If we go on to the end, then we will be ruling with him: if we say we have no knowledge of him, then he will say he has no knowledge of us:

Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.

Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.

But take no part in wrong and foolish talk, for those who do so will go farther into evil,

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.

Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal: "The Lord knew those who are His." And, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity!"

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

But have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations [useless disputes over unedifying, stupid controversies], since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels.

now a servant of the Lord must not engage in strife, but should be gentle towards all, apt in teaching, patient of wrong,

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 recover sober-mindedness and freedom from the Devil's snare, though they are now entrapped by him to do his will.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, uplifted in pride, given to bitter words, going against the authority of their fathers, never giving praise, having no religion,

without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,

of which they wear the appearance, but disclaim its influence. have no intercourse with such.

and are always learning something new, and yet are never able to arrive at real knowledge of the truth.

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

Now you have diligently followed [my example, that is] my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness,

and the persecutions and sufferings which I have endured; the things which happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. You know the persecutions I endured, and how the Lord delivered me out of them all.

Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

But you continue in [the things] which you have learned and are convinced [of], [because you] know from whom you learned [them],

For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.

Whatever happens, be self-possessed, flinch from no suffering, do your work as an evangelist, and discharge all your duties as a minister.

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

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 has forsaken me, having loved the time now, and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

Luke is the only friend I now have with me. Call for Mark on your way and bring him with you, for he is a great help to me in my ministry.

Now I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

and at the appointed time has made known His word and revealed it as His message, through preaching, which was entrusted to me according to the command of God our Savior—

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

Now this tendency is true. So continue correcting them severely, that they may be healthy in faith,

Giving no attention to the fictions of the Jews and the rules of men who have no true knowledge.

All things are pure to the pure; but to the contaminated and the faithless nothing is pure, nay, their very minds and consciences are tainted.

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

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.

and above all make your own life a pattern of right conduct, having in your teaching no taint of insincerity, but a serious tone,

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.

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and eager worldly desires, we should live discreetly, and justly, and religiously, in the time now;

These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Remind your hearers to respect and obey the Powers that be, to be ready for every kind of good work, to speak ill of no one, to avoid quarreling,

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

He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

And so, made heirs by his own grace, eternal life we now embrace.

But have nothing to do with foolish questionings, and lists of generations, and fights and arguments about the law; for they are of no profit and foolish.

After a first and a second warning have no more to do with a factious person;

for, as you know, a man of that description has turned aside from the right path and is a sinner self-condemned.

When I send Artemas or [perhaps] Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

From Paul, now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, a Brother.

and I pray that through coming to know every good thing about us as Christians they may effectually share your faith.

Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

[Now] I am sending him back to you in person, [as though he were] part of my very self.

Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

Now if he has defrauded you of anything or owes you anything, charge what he owes to me.

So brother, let me have joy of you in the Lord: give new life to my heart in Christ.