1 ^gLet all who are under a yoke as bondservants¹ regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, ^hso that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are ⁱbrothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

Teach and urge ^jthese things. 3 If anyone ^kteaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the ^lsound² words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching ^mthat accords with godliness, 4 he is ⁿpuffed up with conceit and ^ounderstands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for ^pcontroversy and for ^qquarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are ^rdepraved in mind and deprived of the truth, ^simagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But ^tgodliness with ^ucontentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and³ we ^vcannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But ^wthose who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a ^xsnare, into many senseless and harmful desires that ^yplunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

11 But as for you, O ^zman of God, ^aflee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the ^bgood fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good ^cconfession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I ^dcharge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his ^etestimony before⁴ Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the ^fappearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display ^gat the proper time—he who is the ^hblessed and only Sovereign, the ⁱKing of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, ^jwho dwells in unapproachable light, ^kwhom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for the rich in ^lthis present age, charge them not to be ^mhaughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, ⁿbut on God, ^owho richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be ^prich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus ^qstoring up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit ^rentrusted to you. Avoid the ^sirreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have ^tswerved from the faith.

^uGrace be with you.⁵