2 Timothy 2 English Standard Version

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 You then, ^(A)my child, ^(B)be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ²and ^(C)what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses ^(D)entrust to faithful men,^[a] ^(E)who will be able to teach others also. ³^(F)Share in suffering as ^(G)a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No soldier ^(H)gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. ⁵^(I)An athlete is not ^(J)crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶It is ^(K)the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. ⁷Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

⁸Remember Jesus Christ, ^(L)risen from the dead, the ^(M)offspring of David, ^(N)as preached in my gospel, ⁹^(O)for which I am suffering, ^(P)bound with chains as a criminal. But ^(Q)the word of God is not bound! ¹⁰Therefore ^(R)I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain ^(S)the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with ^(T)eternal glory. ¹¹The saying is ^(U)trustworthy, for:

^(V)If we have died with him, we will also ^(W)live with him;
¹²^(X)if we endure, we will also reign with him;
^(Y)if we deny him, he also will deny us;
¹³^(Z)if we are faithless, ^(AA)he remains faithful—

for ^(AB)he cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God

¹⁴Remind them of these things, and ^(AC)charge them before God^[b] ^(AD)not to quarrel about words, ^(AE)which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,^[c] a worker ^(AF)who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶But ^(AG)avoid ^(AH)irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are ^(AI)Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸who have swerved from the truth, ^(AJ)saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ^(AK)“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone ^(AL)who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

²⁰Now in ^(AM)a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, ^(AN)some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹Therefore, ^(AO)if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,^[d] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ^(AP)ready for every good work.

²²So ^(AQ)flee ^(AR)youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with ^(AS)those who call on the Lord ^(AT)from a pure heart. ²³Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant ^(AU)controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴And ^(AV)the Lord's servant^[e] must not be quarrelsome but ^(AW)kind to everyone, ^(AX)able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵correcting his opponents ^(AY)with gentleness. God ^(AZ)may perhaps grant them repentance ^(BA)leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(BB)the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Footnotes

2 Timothy 2:2 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women, depending on the context
2 Timothy 2:14 Some manuscripts the Lord
2 Timothy 2:15 That is, one approved after being tested
2 Timothy 2:21 Greek from these things
2 Timothy 2:24 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface