1 As for any who are under the yoke as slaves, their own masters they are to regard as deserving of indeed+ the highest respect, lest the name of God be profaned and our teaching be discredited.+ 2 Those whose masters are believers,+ moreover, must not show them less respect on account of the fact that it is+ their brothers whom they are serving.+ On the contrary, they should render them even better service, since those who will benefit from such+ excellent work are exactly that—+believers—and so dear to them.

These are the things+ you are to continually teach and exhort.3 If someone teaches things that are contrary to the accepted teachings and refuses to consent+ to the sound+ instruction+ of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and the teaching that promotes a godly+ life,+ 4 he is full of pride and conceit, understanding nothing, having, instead, a sick craving for controversies and quarrels about words,+ which give rise+ to envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant quarrels from people whose minds are corrupt and who are robbed of the truth, who consider godliness+ to be nothing more than+ a means of financial gain. 6 There is great gain, however,+ in godliness with contentment. 7 We didn’t bring a+ thing into the world, you see, and so+ neither are we able a thing to carry out.+ 8 If+ we have food and clothing,+ though, with these we will be content. 9 Those who are set on becoming rich, however, fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into disaster and utter ruin. 10 The love of money is a root,+ you see,+ of all kinds of evil, as a result of which+ some, in their eagerness to be wealthy,+ have strayed from the faith and pierced their own+ hearts+ with many sorrows.

11 ˢYou, however, servant+ of God, must flee+ from all+ these things. Chase hard after righteousness, a godly life,+ faith, love, patient endurance, and meekness. 12 Keep running the good+ race of the faith,+ receive as your own prize+ the life of the coming age,+ the life+ to which you were summoned+ and with respect to which+ you made the noble+ profession in the presence of a great+ many witnesses. 13 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Messiah Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the noble+ profession, 14 to observe the way of life that has been laid down+ spotlessly and irreproachably until the appearing of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, 15 which the Sovereign Ruler, who is blessed and stands alone,+ will bring about in indeed+ his own appointed time+—the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone+ possesses immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable,+ whom no human being has seen or is of seeing capable.+ To him be honor and eternal supremacy! Amen.

17 As for those who are rich in the present+ age, instruct them not to have a prideful and arrogant attitude, and to place their hope not+ in such an uncertain thing as riches,+ but in God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. 18 Instruct them to show kindness,+ to be rich in good deeds, to be generous+ and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves a dependable treasure+ for the age to come,+ so that they may receive as their own prize+ the life that is truly+ life.

20 O Timothy, that which has been entrusted to you guard carefully,+ keeping away from that empty chatter which is so+ irreverent,+ and the contradictions of what is called “knowledge,” but which, in fact,+ is not.+ 21 Some, by+ laying claim to such, have with respect to the faith gone astray.+ Grace be with all+ of ᵖyou.