¹⁷Charge those who are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor place their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who gives us all things richly for enjoyment; ¹⁸that they do good, be rich in good works, be free in imparting, willing to communicate; ¹⁹laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the true life.

²⁰O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane babblings, and oppositions of that which is falsely called knowledge; ²¹which some professing erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee.

[THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY.]

I. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, ²to Timothy, a beloved child: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; ⁴longing to see thee, remembering thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; ⁵calling to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that it dwells in thee also. ⁶For which cause I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the laying on of my hands. ⁷For God did not give us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of chastisement.

⁸Be not then ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship with me for the gospel, according to the power of God; ⁹who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose, and the grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before eternal ages, ¹⁰but now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ; who abolished death, and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel; ¹¹for which I was appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. ¹²For which cause I suffer also these things. But 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 to him, unto that day.

¹³Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou heardest from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴The good thing committed to thee keep, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

¹⁵Thou knowest this, that all those in Asia turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus; because he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; ¹⁷but when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. ¹⁸The Lord grant to him, that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day! And in how many things he ministered to me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

II. Thou therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²And the things that thou heardest from me by many witnesses^[2], the same commit thou to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. ³Endure hardship with me, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴No one serving as a soldier entangles himself with the affairs of life, that he may please him who chose him to be a soldier. ⁵And if a man also contends in the games, he is not crowned, unless he contends lawfully. ⁶The husbandman that labors must first partake of the fruits. ⁷Consider what I say; for the Lord will give thee understanding in all things.