2 Timothy 4 English Standard Version

Preach the Word

4 ^(A)I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, ^(B)who is to judge the living and the dead, and by ^(C)his appearing and his kingdom: ²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; ^(D)reprove, rebuke, and ^(E)exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³^(F)For the time is coming when people will not endure ^(G)sound^[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴and ^(H)will turn away from listening to the truth and ^(I)wander off into myths. ⁵But as for you, ^(J)always be sober-minded, ^(K)endure suffering, do the work of ^(L)an evangelist, ^(M)fulfill your ministry.

⁶For ^(N)I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my ^(O)departure has come. ⁷^(P)I have fought the good fight, ^(Q)I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Henceforth there is ^(R)laid up for me ^(S)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, ^(T)the righteous judge, will award to me on ^(U)that day, and not only to me but also to all ^(V)who have loved his appearing.

Personal Instructions

⁹^(W)Do your best to come to me soon. ¹⁰For ^(X)Demas, ^(Y)in love with ^(Z)this present world, ^(AA)has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia,^[b] ^(AB)Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹^(AC)Luke alone is with me. Get ^(AD)Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. ¹²^(AE)Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. ¹³When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. ¹⁴^(AF)Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; ^(AG)the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. ¹⁵Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. ¹⁶At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. ^(AH)May it not be charged against them! ¹⁷But ^(AI)the Lord stood by me and ^(AJ)strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and ^(AK)all the Gentiles might hear it. So ^(AL)I was rescued ^(AM)from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. ^(AN)To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

¹⁹Greet ^(AO)Prisca and Aquila, and ^(AP)the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left ^(AQ)Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. ²¹^(AR)Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.^[c]

²²The Lord be ^(AS)with your spirit. ^(AT)Grace be with you.^[d]

Footnotes

2 Timothy 4:3 Or healthy
2 Timothy 4:10 Some manuscripts Gaul
2 Timothy 4:21 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
2 Timothy 4:22 The Greek for you is plural