| 1 | As many as are servants under a yoke, their own masters worthy of all honour let them reckon, that the name of God and the teaching may not be evil spoken of; |
| 2 | and those having believing masters, let them not slight [them], because they are brethren, but rather let them serve, because they are stedfast and beloved, who of the benefit are partaking. These things be teaching and exhorting; |
| 3 | if any one be teaching otherwise, and do not consent to sound words -- those of our Lord Jesus Christ -- and to the teaching according to piety, |
| 4 | he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and word-striving, out of which doth come envy, strife, evil-speakings, evil-surmisings, |
| 5 | wranglings of men wholly corrupted in mind, and destitute of the truth, supposing the piety to be gain; depart from such; |
| 6 | but it is great gain -- the piety with contentment; |
| 7 | for nothing did we bring into the world -- [it is] manifest that we are able to carry nothing out; |
| 8 | but having food and raiment -- with these we shall suffice ourselves; |
| 9 | and those wishing to be rich, do fall into temptation and a snare, and many desires, foolish and hurtful, that sink men into ruin and destruction, |
| 10 | for a root of all the evils is the love of money, which certain longing for did go astray from the faith, and themselves did pierce through with many sorrows; |
| 11 | and thou, O man of God, these things flee, and pursue righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurance, meekness; |
| 12 | be striving the good strife of the faith, be laying hold on the life age-during, to which also thou wast called, and didst profess the right profession before many witnesses. |
| 13 | I charge thee, before God, who is making all things alive, and of Christ Jesus, who did testify before Pontius Pilate the right profession, |
| 14 | that thou keep the command unspotted, unblameable, till the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, |
| 15 | which in His own times He shall shew -- the blessed and only potentate, the King of the kings and Lord of the lords, |
| 16 | who only is having immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable, whom no one of men did see, nor is able to see, to whom [is] honour and might age-during! Amen. |
| 17 | Those rich in the present age charge thou not to be high-minded, nor to hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, who is giving to us all things richly for enjoyment; -- |
| 18 | to do good, to be rich in good works, to be ready to impart, willing to communicate, |
| 19 | treasuring up to themselves a right foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life age-during. |
| 20 | O Timotheus, the thing entrusted guard thou, avoiding the profane vain-words and opposition of the falsely-named knowledge, |
| 21 | which certain professing -- concerning the faith did swerve; the grace [is] with you. Amen. |
