Day 64 of 365

¹Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you;

²and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith.

³But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.

⁴We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command.

⁵May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.

⁶Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us.

⁷For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we did not behave ourselves rebelliously among you,

⁸neither did we eat bread from anyone's hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you;

⁹not because we do not have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.

¹⁰For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat."

¹¹For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who do not work at all, but are busybodies.

¹²Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

¹³But you, brothers, do not be weary in doing well.

¹⁴If any man does not obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

¹⁵Do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

¹⁶Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

¹⁷The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write.

¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and Christ Jesus our hope;

²to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

⁴neither to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause speculation, rather than God's stewardship, which is in faith-

⁵but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith;

⁶from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned aside to vain talking;

⁷desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.

⁸But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully,

⁹as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

¹⁰for the sexually immoral, nor men who practice sexual relations with men, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

¹¹according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

¹²And I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;

¹³although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

¹⁴The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

¹⁶However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

¹⁷Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸This instruction I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to you, that by them you may wage the good warfare;

¹⁹holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith;

²⁰of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

¹I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men:

²for kings and all who are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.

³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;

⁴who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

⁵For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times;

⁷to which I was appointed a proclaimer and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.

⁹In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety; not just with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing;

¹⁰but (which becomes women professing godliness) with good works.

¹¹Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection.

¹²But I do not permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.

¹³For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

¹⁴Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience;

¹⁵but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and sanctification with sobriety.

¹Hear my voice, God, in my complaint. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

²Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;

³who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aim their arrows, deadly words,

⁴to shoot innocent men from ambushes. They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly.

⁵They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, "Who will see them?"

⁶They plot injustice, saying, "We have made a perfect plan!" Surely man's mind and heart are cunning.

⁷But God will shoot at them. They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.

⁸Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.

⁹All mankind shall be afraid. They shall declare the work of God, and shall wisely ponder what he has done.

¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall take refuge in him. All the upright in heart shall praise him!

¹My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;

²So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

³Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;

⁴If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

⁶For the Lord gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

⁷He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;

⁸that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his holy ones.

⁹Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.

¹⁰For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

¹¹Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

¹²to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

¹³who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

¹⁴who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;

¹⁵who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:

¹⁶To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;

¹⁷who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God:

¹⁸for her house leads down to death, her paths to the dead.

¹⁹None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

²⁰that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

²¹For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.

²²But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.