1 ^oLet all who are under a yoke as bondservants¹ regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, ^pso 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 ^qbrothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

^rTeach and urge these things. 3 If anyone ^steaches a different doctrine and does not agree with ^tthe sound² words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching ^uthat accords with godliness, 4 ^vhe is puffed up with conceit and ^wunderstands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for ^xcontroversy and for ^yquarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people ^zwho are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, ^aimagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But ^bgodliness ^cwith contentment is great gain, 7 for ^dwe brought nothing into the world, and³ we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But ^eif we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But ^fthose who desire to be rich fall into temptation, ^ginto a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that ^hplunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of ⁱall 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, ^jO man of God, ^kflee these things. ^lPursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 ^mFight the good fight of the faith. ⁿTake hold of the eternal life ^oto which you were called and about which you made ^pthe good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 ^qI charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, ^rwho in his testimony before⁴ Pontius Pilate made ^pthe good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until ^sthe appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display ^tat the proper time—he who is ^uthe blessed and only Sovereign, ^vthe King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 ^wwho alone has immortality, ^xwho dwells in ^yunapproachable light, ^zwhom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for the rich in ^athis present age, charge them ^bnot to be haughty, nor ^cto set their hopes on ^dthe uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^ewho richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, ^fto be rich in good works, to be generous and ^gready to share, 19 thus ^hstoring up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may ⁱtake hold of ^jthat which is truly life.

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. ^kAvoid the ^lirreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

^mGrace be with you.⁵