| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their own masters as deserving of the highest respect, so that the name of God and our teaching may not be discredited. | 1Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited. |
| 2Moreover, those who have believing masters should be respectful to them, because they are fellow believers. In fact, they must serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dear to them. These are the things you must teach and exhort. | 2But those who have believing masters must not show them less respect because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve all the more, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Summary of Timothy's Duties Teach them and exhort them about these things. |
| 3If anyone teaches false doctrine and refuses to agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and godly teaching, | 3If someone spreads false teachings and does not agree with sound words (that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ) and with the teaching that accords with godliness, |
| 4he is a conceited person and does not understand anything. He has an unhealthy craving for arguments and debates. This produces jealousy, rivalry, slander, evil suspicions, | 4he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes. This gives rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, |
| 5and incessant conflict between people who are depraved in mind and deprived of truth. They think that godliness is a way to make a profit. | 5and constant bickering by people corrupted in their minds and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a way of making a profit. |
| 6Of course, godliness with contentment does bring a great profit. | 6Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. |
| 7Nothing to this world we bring; from it take we nothing. | 7For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. |
| 8With food to eat and clothes to wear; content we are in everything. | 8But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that. |
| 9But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin. | 9Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. |
| 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain. | 10For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains. |
| 11But you, man of God, must flee from all these things. Instead, you must pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. | 11But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. |
| 12Fight the good fight for the faith. Keep holding on to eternal life, to which you were called and about which you gave a good testimony in front of many witnesses. | 12Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession for in the presence of many witnesses. |
| 13Since you are in the presence of God, who gives life to everything, and in the presence of the Messiah Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, I solemnly charge you | 13I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Christ Jesus who made his good confession before Pontius Pilate, |
| 14to keep these commands stainlessly and blamelessly until the appearance of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. | 14to obey this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ |
| 15At the right time, he will make him known. God is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. | 15 --whose appearing the blessed and only Sovereign, the king of kings and Lord of lords, will reveal at the right time. |
| 16He alone has endless life and lives in inaccessible light. No one has ever seen him, nor can anyone see him. Honor and eternal power belong to him! Amen. | 16He alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has ever seen or is able to see. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen. |
| 17Tell those who are rich in this age not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, let them place their confidence in God, who lavishly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. | 17Command those who are rich in this world's goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. |
| 18They are to do good, to be rich in good actions, to be generous, and to share. | 18Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. |
| 19By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future, so that they can keep their hold on the life that is real. | 19In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life. |
| 20Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the pointless discussions and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. | 20O Timothy, protect what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and absurdities of so-called "knowledge." |
| 21Although some claim to have it, they have abandoned the faith. May grace be with all of you! | 21By professing it, some have strayed from the faith. Grace be with you all. |
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