¹ Thou therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus;

² and the things which thou didst hear from me before many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, such as will be able to teach others also.

³ Endure hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

⁴ No one serving as a soldier entangleth himself with the affairs of life, that he may please him who chose him to be a soldier.

⁵ And if a man contendeth in the games, he is not crowned, unless he contendeth lawfully.

⁶ The husbandman that laboreth must be the first partaker of the fruits.

⁷ Understand what I say; for the Lord will give thee apprehension in all things.

⁸ Bear in mind Jesus Christ of the seed of David, as raised from the dead, according to my gospel;

⁹ in which I suffer hardship even unto bonds as an evil-doer; but the word of God is not bound.

¹⁰ For this cause I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with everlasting glory.

¹¹ True is the saying: for if we died with him, we shall also live with him;

¹² if we endure, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

¹³ if we are faithless, he remaineth faithful; for he cannot deny himself.

¹⁴ Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord not to carry on a strife of words, to no useful purpose, but rather to the subverting of the hearers.

¹⁵ Study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman not ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

¹⁶ But shun the profane babblings; for they will go on to a higher degree of ungodliness;

¹⁷ and their word will eat as doth a canker; of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus,

¹⁸ who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection hath already taken place, and overthrow the faith of some.

¹⁹ Nevertheless God’s firm foundation standeth, having this seal, "The Lord knoweth them that are his;" and, "Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."

²⁰ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also wooden and earthen ones; and some for honor, and some for dishonor.

²¹ If then any one shall purge himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, hallowed, useful for the householder, prepared for every good work.

²² But flee youthful lusts, and follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

²³ But the foolish and ignorant questionings avoid, knowing that they gender quarrels;

²⁴ and a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, apt in teaching, patient of wrong,

²⁵ in meekness admonishing those that oppose themselves; if haply God may give them repentance to attain the full knowledge of the truth,

²⁶ and they may awake to their senses out of the snare of the Devil, by whom they have been taken captive to do his will.