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¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and Christ Jesus our hope;² to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.³ As I exhorted you to tarry at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that you might charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine,⁴ neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; [so do I now].

⁵ But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned:⁶ from which things some having swerved have turned aside to vain talking;⁷ desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm.⁸ But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully,⁹ as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,¹⁰ for fornicators, for homosexuals, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;¹¹ according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

¹² I thank him that enabled me, [even] Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to [his] service;¹³ though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: nevertheless I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief;¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.¹⁵ Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:¹⁶ nevertheless for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all his long-suffering, for an example of those that should thereafter believe on him to eternal life.¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸ This charge I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to you, that by them you may war the good warfare;¹⁹ holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith:²⁰ of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.