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¹ Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And 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. ^3 [a]Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. ⁵ And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully. ⁶ The husbandman that laboreth must be the first to partake of the fruits. ⁷ Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things. ⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my ^[b]gospel: ⁹ wherein I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor; but the word of God is not bound. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ¹¹ Faithful is the ^[c]saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him: ¹² if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us: ¹³ if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself.

¹⁴ Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them in the sight of ^[d]the Lord, that they strive not about words, to no profit, to the subverting of them that hear. ¹⁵ Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, ^[e]handling aright the word of truth. ¹⁶ But shun profane babblings: for they will proceed further in ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their word will ^[f]eat as doth a gangrene: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; ¹⁸ men who concerning the truth have ^[g]erred, saying that ^[h]the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some. ¹⁹ Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, ^[i]The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, ^[j]Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. ²⁰ Now 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. ²¹ If 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. ²² But flee youthful lusts, and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ But foolish and ignorant questionings refuse, knowing that they gender strifes. ²⁴ And the Lord's ^[k]servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, ²⁵ in meekness ^[l]correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may ^[m]recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been ^[n]taken captive ^[o]by him unto his will.