I beg you, brothers, to be on the watch for those who introduce divisions and difficulties, in opposition to the instruction that you were given, and to avoid them.

Timothy, guard what has been intrusted to you. Keep away from the worldly, empty phrases and contradictions of what they falsely call knowledge,

Leave worldly, empty phrases alone, for they lead people deeper and deeper into godlessness,

Avoid foolish, crude speculations; you know they only lead to quarrels,

But have nothing to do with foolish controversies, pedigrees, strife, and wrangles about the Law, for they are profitless and futile.

and avoiding every kind of evil.

Fly from the cravings of youth, and go in pursuit of uprightness, faith, love, and peace, in company with those who call upon the Lord with pure hearts.

Fly from immorality! Any other sin a man commits is something outside his body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.

Therefore, my dear brothers, have nothing to do with the worship of idols.

But you, man of God, must fly from these things. Strive for uprightness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Yet God's solid foundation stands unshaken, bearing this inscription, "The Lord knows those who belong to him," and "Everyone who uses the name of the Lord must give up evil."

but we should write to them to avoid anything that has been contaminated by idols, immorality, the meat of strangled animals, and the tasting of blood.

that you avoid whatever has been sacrificed to idols, the tasting of blood and of the meat of animals that have been strangled, and immorality. Keep yourselves free from these things and you will get on well. Goodbye."

As for the heathen who have become believers, we have written them our decision that they must avoid anything that has been contaminated by idols, the tasting of blood, the meat of strangled animals, and immorality."

But let worldly fictions and old wives' tales alone. Train yourself for the religious life.

You must not be avaricious; you must be content with what you have, for God himself has said, "I will never let go of you or desert you!"

Dear friends, I beg you, as aliens and exiles here, not to indulge the physical cravings that are at war with the soul.