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¹ As many as are servants under a yoke, let them reckon their own masters worthy of all honor, that evil may not be spoken of the Name of God and the teaching;² and those having believing masters, do not let them slight [them], because they are brothers, but rather let them serve, because they are steadfast and beloved, who are partaking of the benefit. Be teaching and exhorting these things;³ if anyone be teaching otherwise, and does not consent to sound words—those of our Lord Jesus Christ—and to the teaching according to piety,⁴ he is proud, knowing nothing, but unhealthy about questions and word-striving, out of which come envy, strife, slanders, evil-surmisings,⁵ wranglings of men wholly corrupted in mind, and destitute of the truth, supposing the piety to be gain; depart from such;

⁶ but it is great gain—the piety with contentment;⁷ for we brought nothing into the world—because neither are we able to carry out anything;⁸ but having food and raiment—with these we will suffice ourselves;⁹ and those intending to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many desires, foolish and hurtful, that sink men into ruin and destruction,¹⁰ for the love of money is a root of all the evils, which certain [ones] longing for went astray from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows;¹¹ and you, O man of God, flee these things, and pursue righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurance, meekness.¹² Be striving the good strife of the faith; be laying hold on the continuous life to which you also were called, and did profess the right profession before many witnesses.

¹³ I charge you, before God, who is making all things alive, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the right profession before Pontius Pilate,¹⁴ that you keep the command unspotted, unblameable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,¹⁵ which He will show in His own times—the blessed and only sovereign, the King of the kings and Lord of the lords,¹⁶ having immortality alone, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no one of men saw, nor is able to see, to whom [is] honor and perpetual might! Amen.¹⁷ Charge those rich in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, who is giving to us all things richly for enjoyment—¹⁸ to do good, to be rich in good works, to be ready to impart, willing to communicate,¹⁹ treasuring up to themselves a right foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on [that which is] truly life.²⁰ O Timotheus, guard the thing entrusted, avoiding the profane vain-words and opposition of the falsely-named knowledge,²¹ which certain [ones] professing—swerved concerning the faith. The grace [is] with you! Amen.