¹Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. ³Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. ⁵And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully. ⁶The husbandman that laboreth must be the first to partake of the fruits. ⁷Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things. ⁸Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel: ⁹wherein I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor; but the word of God is not bound.

¹⁰Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ¹¹Faithful is the saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him: ¹²if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us: ¹³if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself. ¹⁴Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they strive not about words, to no profit, to the subverting of them that hear. ¹⁵Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth. ¹⁶But shun profane babblings: for they will proceed further in ungodliness, ¹⁷and their word will eat as doth a gangrene: of whom is Hymenæus and Philetus; ¹⁸men who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some. ¹⁹Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. ²⁰Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor. ²¹If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work. ²²But flee youthful lusts, and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³But foolish and ignorant questionings refuse, knowing that they gender strifes. ²⁴And the Lord’s servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, ²⁵in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will.