New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
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Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the order of God our Saviour and Christ Jesus our hope;
2 To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
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To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine,
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It was my desire, when I went on into Macedonia, that you might make a stop at Ephesus, to give orders to certain men not to put forward a different teaching,
4 and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith.
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Or to give attention to stories and long lists of generations, from which come questionings and doubts, in place of God's ordered way of life which is in faith;
5 But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.
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But the effect of the order is love coming from a clean heart, and a knowledge of what is right, and true faith:
6 Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk,
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From which some have been turned away, giving themselves to foolish talking;
7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.
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Desiring to be teachers of the law, though they have no knowledge of what they say or of the statements which they make so certainly.
8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately.
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We are conscious that the law is good, if a man makes a right use of it,
9 This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers,
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With the knowledge that the law is made, not for the upright man, but for those who have no respect for law and order, for evil men and sinners, for the unholy and those who have no religion, for those who put their fathers or mothers to death, for takers of life,
10 fornicators, sodomites, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching
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For those who go after loose women, for those with unnatural desires, for those who take men prisoners, who make false statements and false oaths, and those who do any other things against the right teaching,
11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
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Which may be seen in the good news of the glory of the great God, which was given into my care.
12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service,
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I give praise to him who gave me power, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he took me to be true, making me his servant,
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
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Though I had said violent words against God, and done cruel acts, causing great trouble: but I was given mercy, because I did it without knowledge, not having faith;
14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
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And the grace of our Lord was very great, with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.
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It is a true saying, in which all may put their faith, that Christ Jesus came into the world to give salvation to sinners, of whom I am the chief:
16 But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.
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But for this reason I was given mercy, so that in me, the chief of sinners, Jesus Christ might make clear all his mercy, as an example to those who in the future would have faith in him to eternal life.
17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
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Now to the King eternal, ever-living, unseen, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. So be it.
18 I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight,
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This order I give to you, Timothy my son, in harmony with the words of the prophets about you, so that by them you may be strong, fighting the good fight,
19 having faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have suffered shipwreck in the faith;
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Keeping faith, and being conscious of well-doing; for some, by not doing these things, have gone wrong in relation to the faith:
20 among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan, so that they may learn not to blaspheme.
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Such are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have given up to Satan, so that they may say no more evil words against God.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.