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Preach the Word

^1 (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: ² preach 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, ⁴ and ^(h)will turn away from listening to the truth and ⁽ⁱ⁾wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, ^(j)always be sober-minded, ^(k)endure suffering, do the work of ^(l)an evangelist, ^(m)fulfill your ministry.

⁶ For ⁽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. ⁸ Henceforth 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. ¹⁰ For ^(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. ¹³ When 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. ¹⁵ Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. ¹⁶ At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. ^(ah)May it not be charged against them! ¹⁷ But ^(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. ¹⁸ The 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

¹⁹ Greet ^(ao)Prisca and Aquila, and ^(ap)the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰ Erastus 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]

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