¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus our hope;

² unto Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ As I exhorted thee to tarry at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

⁴ neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; so do I now.

⁵ But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned:

⁶ from which things some having swerved have turned aside unto vain talking;

⁷ desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm.

⁸ But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully,

⁹ as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

¹⁰ for fornicators, for abusers of themselves with men, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

¹¹ according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

¹² I thank him that enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to his service;

¹³ though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief;

¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:

¹⁶ howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all his longsuffering, for an ensample of them that should thereafter believe on him unto eternal life.

¹⁷ Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸ This charge I commit unto thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to thee, that by them thou mayest war the good warfare;

¹⁹ holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith:

²⁰ of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.