Bible (American Standard)/2 Timothy

The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy
==Chapter 1==
 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of
God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ
Jesus, 
 to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, peace,
from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 
 I thank
God, whom I serve from my forefathers in a pure conscience, how
unceasing is my remembrance of thee in my supplications, night
and day 
 longing to see thee, remembering thy tears, that I
may be filled with joy; 
 having been reminded of the
unfeigned faith that is in thee; which dwelt first in thy
grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and, I am persuaded, in
thee also. 
 For which cause I put thee in remembrance that
thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the
laying on of my hands. 
 For God gave us not a spirit of
fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. 
 Be not
ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his
prisoner: but suffer hardship with the gospel according to the
power of God; 
 who saved us, and called us with a holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
times eternal, 
 but hath now been manifested by the
appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 
 whereunto I was appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a
teacher. 
 For which cause I suffer also 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
unto him against that day. 
 Hold the pattern of sound
words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is
in Christ Jesus. 
 That good thing which was committed unto
[thee] guard through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us.
 This thou knowest, that all that are in Asia turned away
from me; of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 
 The Lord
grant mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus: for he oft refreshed
me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 
 but, when he was in
Rome, he sought me diligently, and found me 
 (the Lord
grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day); and in
how many things he ministered at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
==Chapter 2==
 Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace
that is in Christ Jesus. 
 And the things which thou hast
heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to
faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 
 Suffer hardship with [me], as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
 No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of
[this] life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a
soldier. 
 And if also a man contend in the games, he is not
crowded, except he have contended lawfully. 
 The husbandmen
that laboreth must be the first to partake of the fruits. 
 Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding
in all things. 
 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead,
of the seed of David, according to my gospel: 
 wherein I
suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor; but the word of God
is not bound. 
 Therefore, I endure all things for the
elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is
in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 
 Faithful is the
saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him:
 if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall
deny him, he also will deny us: 
 if we are faithless, he
abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself. 
 Of these
things put them in remembrance, charging [them] in the sight of
the Lord, that they strive not about words, to no profit, to the
subverting of them that hear. 
 Give diligence to present
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, handling aright the word of truth. 
 But shun
profane babblings: for they will proceed further in ungodliness,
 and their word will eat as doth a gangrene: or whom is
Hymenaeus an Philetus; 
 men who concerning the truth have
erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and
overthrow the faith of some. 
 Howbeit the firm foundation
of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that
are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord
depart from unrighteousness. 
 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. 
 If
a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel
unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master's use, prepared unto
every good work. 
 after righteousness, faith, love, pace,
with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 
 But
foolish and ignorant questionings refuse, knowing that they
gender strifes. 
 And the Lord's servant must not strive,
but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, 
 in
meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure
God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth,
 and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the
devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will.
==Chapter 3==
 But know this, that in the last days grievous times
shall come. 
 For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of
money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, 
 without natural affection, implacable,
slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
 traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God; 
 holding a form of godliness, but
having denied the power therefore. From these also turn away.
 For of these are they that creep into houses, and take
captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts,
 ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of
the truth. 
 And even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses,
so do these also withstand the truth. Men corrupted in mind,
reprobate concerning the faith. 
 But they shall proceed no
further. For their folly shall be evident unto all men, as
theirs also came to be. 
 But thou didst follow my
teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love,
patience, 
 persecutions, sufferings. What things befell me
at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured.
And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 
 Yea, and all
that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
 But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving and being deceived. 
 But abide thou in the
things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing
of whom thou hast learned them. 
 And that from a babe thou
hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise
unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 
 Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is
in righteousness. 
 That the man of God may be complete,
furnished completely unto every good work.
==Chapter 4==
 I charge [thee] in the sight of God, and of Christ
Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his
appearing and his kingdom: 
 preach the word; be urgent in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching. 
 For the time will come when
they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching
ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;
 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn
aside unto fables. 
 But be thou sober in all things, suffer
hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry.
 For I am already being offered, and the time of my
departure is come. 
 I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the course, I have kept the faith: 
 henceforth
there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not
to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.
 Give diligence to come shortly unto me: 
 for Demas
forsook me, having loved this present world, and went to
Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 
 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he
is useful to me for ministering. 
 But Tychicus I sent to
Ephesus. 
 The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus,
bring when thou comest, and the books, especially the
parchments. 
 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil:
the Lord will render to him according to his works: 
 of
whom do thou also beware; for he greatly withstood our words.
 At my first defence no one took my part, but all forsook
me: may it not be laid to their account. 
 But the Lord
stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message
might me fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear:
and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 
 The
Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto
his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] the glory forever and ever.
Amen. 
 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the house of
Onesiphorus. 
 Erastus remained at Corinth: but Trophimus I
left at Miletus sick. 
 Give diligence to come before
winter. Eubulus saluteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and
Claudia, and all the brethren. 
 The Lord be with thy
spirit. Grace be with you.