Always Be Ready

¹I give you this charge in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his empire:

²Preach the word,

Be ready in season and out of season

Correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and instruction.

³For the time will come when people won’t put up with sound doctrine, but instead they will accumulate teachers who tickle their ears with what they desire.

⁴Indeed, they will turn their ears away from the truth, and turn themselves toward myths.

⁵But you are to be sober-minded in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and accomplish your deacon-work.

⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is near.

⁷I have competed in the competition of excellence. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.

⁸Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day. And not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.

Final Instructions

⁹You must make every effort to come to me soon,

¹⁰because Demas deserted me, having loved this present age, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

¹¹Only Luke is with me. You must take Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me in deacon-work.

¹²But Tychicus I sent to Ephesus.

¹³When you come, bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus and the scrolls, especially the parchments.

¹⁴Alexander the coppersmith did much harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds.

¹⁵You should watch out for him, because he vigorously opposed our words.

¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to support me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.

¹⁷But the Lord stood by me and empowered me, so that through me the message might be fully accomplished, and all the ethnic groups would hear it. So I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

¹⁸The Lord will deliver me from every evil act and will save me to ʜɪꜱ heavenly empire.

To ʜɪᴍ be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Closing Greetings

¹⁹Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus.

²⁰Erastus remained in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.

²¹You must make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the siblings salute you.

²²The Lord be with your spirit.

Grace be with y’all.