¹Let all who are slaves, under a yoke, consider their own masters worthy of all honour, so that the name of God and the doctrine are not blasphemed. ²And let those who have believing masters not despise them, because they are brothers, but let them rather serve them, because those who partake of good work are believers and beloved. Teach and encourage these things. ³If anyone teaches another doctrine and does not adhere to sound words – those of our Lord Jesus Christ – and to the godly doctrine, ⁴he has let his imagination run away with him and understands nothing, but is delirious concerning inquiries and controversies from which arise envy, strife, blasphemies, malevolent suppositions, ⁵vain arguments of men corrupt in mind and devoid of the truth, who reckon godliness to be a means of gain. Do not associate with such. ⁶But godliness with independence is an important means of gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and it is clear that we cannot take anything out either. ⁸Provided we have sustenance and shelter, we shall be satisfied with these. ⁹But those who wish to become rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and harmful desires, which sink men into destruction and ruin. ¹⁰For love of money is a root of all the evils, a root which some, by striving for it, have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves all over with many pangs of pain. ¹¹But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. ¹²Contend in the good contest of faith, take hold of age-abiding life, to which you were called, having also confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³I command you in the sight of God, who makes everything alive, and Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴to keep the commandment spotlessly, unimpeachably, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which in his own time the blessed and only potentate, the king of those that reign, and Lord of those that rule, will display, ¹⁶who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no-one among men has seen or can see, to whom be honour and age-abiding might. Amen. ¹⁷Command those who are rich in the present age not to be haughty, nor to put hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in the living God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment, ¹⁸to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, ¹⁹treasuring up for themselves a good foundation for the future, in order that they might take hold of age-abiding life. ²⁰Timothy, guard the deposit, avoiding profane vain talk and contradictions of science falsely so called, ²¹which some, while professing it, have deviated concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.