All ^awho are under the yoke as bond-servants (slaves) are to regard their own masters as worthy of honor and respect so ^bthat the name of God and the teaching about Him will not be spoken against. 2 Those who have believing masters are not to be disrespectful toward them because they are ^abrothers in Christ, but they should serve them even better, because those who benefit from their kindly service are believers and beloved. ^bTeach and urge these duties and principles.

3 If anyone ^ateaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the ^bsound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine and teaching which is in ^cagreement with godliness (personal integrity, upright behavior) , 4 he is ^aconceited and woefully ignorant understanding nothing. He has a morbid interest in ^bcontroversial questions and ^cdisputes about words, which produces envy, quarrels, verbal abuse, evil suspicions, 5 and perpetual friction between ^amen who are corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, who ^bthink that godliness is a source of profit a lucrative, money-making business—withdraw from them. 6 ^aBut godliness actually is a source of ^bgreat gain when accompanied by ^ccontentment that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God. 7 For ^awe have brought nothing into the world, so it is clear that we cannot take anything out of it, either. 8 But if we ^ahave food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 ^aBut those who are not financially ethical and crave to get rich with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth fall into temptation and ^ba trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction leading to personal misery. 10 For ^athe love of money that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have ^bwandered away from the faith and pierced themselves through and through with many sorrows.

11 But as for you, ¹O ^aman of God, ^bflee from these things; aim at and pursue righteousness true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God, godliness the fear of God, ^cfaith, ^dlove, steadfastness, and gentleness. 2+@Tim 3:17 12 ^aFight the good fight of the ^bfaith in the conflict with evil; ^ctake hold of the eternal life ^dto which you were called, and for which you made the good ^econfession of faith in the presence of ^fmany witnesses. 13 ^aI solemnly charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and in the presence of ^bChrist Jesus, who made the ^cgood confession in His testimony ^dbefore Pontius Pilate, 14 to keep all His precepts without stain or reproach until the ^aappearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will bring about in ^aHis own time—He who is ^bthe blessed and ^conly Sovereign the absolute Ruler, ^dthe King of those who reign as kings and ^eLord of those who rule as lords, 16 ^aHe alone possesses immortality absolute exemption from death and ^blives in unapproachable light, ^cwhom no man has ever seen or can see. ^dTo Him be honor and eternal power and dominion! Amen.

17 As for the rich in ^athis present world, instruct them ^bnot to be conceited and arrogant, nor to ^cset their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^dwho richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in ^agood works, ^bto be generous, willing to share with others. 19 ^aIn this way storing up for themselves the enduring riches of a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^btake hold of that which is truly life.

20 O ^aTimothy, guard and keep safe ^bthe deposit of godly truth entrusted to you, turn away from ^cworldly and godless chatter with its profane, empty words, and the contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and by doing so have ^aerred (missed the mark) and strayed from ^bthe faith.

^cGrace be with you.