| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, | 1This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope. |
| 2To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. | 2I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. Warnings against False Teachings |
| 3As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, | 3When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. |
| 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. | 4Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God. |
| 5The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. | 5The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. |
| 6Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, | 6But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. |
| 7desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. | 7They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently. |
| 8Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, | 8We know that the law is good when used correctly. |
| 9understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, | 9For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. |
| 10the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, | 10The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching |
| 11in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. | 11that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. Paul’s Gratitude for God’s Mercy |
| 12I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, | 12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, |
| 13though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, | 13even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. |
| 14and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. | 14Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. |
| 15The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. | 15This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. |
| 16But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. | 16But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. |
| 17To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. | 17All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. Timothy’s Responsibility |
| 18This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, | 18Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. |
| 19holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, | 19Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. |
| 20among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. | 20Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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