2 Timothy 4

¹I do fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to judge living and dead at his manifestation and his reign— ²preach the word; be earnest in season, out of season, convict, rebuke, exhort, in all long-suffering and teaching, ³for there shall be a season when the sound teaching they will not suffer, but according to their own desires to themselves they shall heap up teachers—itching in the hearing, ⁴and indeed, from the truth the hearing they shall turn away, and to the fables they shall be turned aside. ⁵And thou—watch in all things; suffer evil; do the work of one proclaiming good news; of thy ministration make full assurance, ⁶for I am already being poured out, and the time of my release hath arrived; ⁷the good strife I have striven, the course I have finished, the faith I have kept, ⁸henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of the righteousness that the Lord—the Righteous Judge—shall give to me in that day, and not only to me, but also to all those loving his manifestation.

⁹Be diligent to come unto me quickly, ¹⁰for Demas forsook me, having loved the present age, and went on to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia, ¹¹Lukas only is with me; Markus having taken, bring with thyself, for he is profitable to me for ministration; ¹²and Tychicus I sent to Ephesus; ¹³the cloak that I left in Troas with Carpus, coming, bring thou and the books—especially the parchments. ¹⁴Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; may the Lord repay to him according to his works, ¹⁵of whom also do thou beware, for greatly hath he stood against our words.

¹⁶In my first defence no one stood with me, but all forsook me, (may it not be reckoned to them!) ¹⁷and the Lord stood by me, and did strengthen me, that through me the preaching might be fully assured, and all the nations might hear, and I was freed out of the mouth of a lion, ¹⁸and the Lord shall free me from every evil work, and shall save me—to his heavenly kingdom; to whom is the glory to the ages of the ages! Amen. ¹⁹Salute Prisca and Aquilas, and Onesiphorus’ household; ²⁰Erastus did remain in Corinth, and Trophimus I left in Miletus infirm; ²¹be diligent to come before winter. Salute thee doth Eubulus, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. ²²The Lord Jesus Christ is with thy spirit; the grace is with you! Amen.

Chapter 1