Bible in 90 Days
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, send greetings to the church people in the city of Thessalonica. The people of this church belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May the kindness of God bless you and give you peace. for all of you, and we always talk to him about you.
2 You do good things because you believe. You work very hard because you have love in your hearts. You are patient because you have hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. We remember these things when we talk to God our Father about you.
3 My brothers, God loves you and we know that he has chosen you.
4 The good news we brought you was not just words. It had power. It had the Holy Spirit. It made people very sure it was true. And you also know how we lived when we were with you to help you.
5 You tried hard to be like us and like the Lord. You had much trouble because you believed our message. Yet the Holy Spirit made you very happy.
6 You have shown all the Christians in the countries of Macedonia and Greece how they should live.
7 People in Macedonia and Greece have heard from you the message about the Lord. And people everywhere have heard that you believe in God. So there is no need for us to write about your faith.
8 They tell us how glad you were to see us. They tell us about how you left your idols and turned to God. You worship the God who is the living and true God.
9 And you wait for his Son to come again from heaven. God raised his Son Jesus from death. It is Jesus who saves us from God's great anger which is to come.
2 My brothers, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not for nothing.
2 The people at the city of Philippi treated us very badly. As you know, we had much trouble. But God helped us, and we did not fear to tell you God's good news. But many things were against us and tried to stop us.
3 Our message was not a lie. What we told you was not wrong. And we did not try to fool you.
4 But God chose us to tell people the good news. And so we do not speak to please men, but to please God. He is the one who knows what is in our hearts.
5 We never said nice things about people that were not true. You know this. We never talked to get something out of it for ourselves. God knows this.
6 And we did not ask you or anybody else to help us or to praise us. Of course, we are apostles of Christ, and we had the right to do so.
7 But we were kind when we were with you. We were like a woman taking care of her own children.
8 Because we loved you, we were glad to give you God's good news. We were also glad to give you our lives, because we loved you very much.
9 My brothers, you remember how hard we worked. We worked night and day so that we would not trouble any of you. And we told you God's good news.
10 We lived in a holy and right way among you Christians. We did nothing wrong to you. You know this yourselves and God knows it too.
11 You know how we talked to each of you as a father talks to his children. We comforted, helped, and taught you.
12 We told you to live to please God. He called you to his own kingdom and greatness.
13 And here is another reason why we always thank God all the time. When you heard God's word from us, you did not say, `That is men's word.' But you said, `That is God's word.' And it really is God's word. The word is working in you Christians.
14 My brothers, you were like the churches of God in Judea which belong to Christ Jesus. The people of your own country troubled you in the same way that the Jews troubled them.
15 The Jewish leaders killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets. And they drove us out of their country. They do not please God and they are against all other people.
16 They try to stop us from talking to those people who are not Jews. They do not want them to be saved. So they are always doing wrong things. And now at last, God has become very angry with them. have been away from you for a short time in body, but not in heart. We wanted very much to see you face to face, and we tried hard to come.
17 We wanted to come to you. Twice, I, Paul, wanted to come. But Satan stopped us.
18 What is our hope when our Lord Jesus comes? What will make us happy and proud then? It is you people!
19 You are ones of whom we are proud. You make us happy.
3 We felt we could not wait any longer. So we thought it best to stay at the city of Athens alone.
2 And we sent our brother Timothy to you. He works for God by telling the good news about Christ. We sent him to help you be strong and to encourage you in what you believe.
3 We do not want anyone to give up because of the trouble. You yourselves know that we all will surely have trouble.
4 When we were with you, we told you that we would have trouble. Trouble came. And now you know what we said is true.
5 That is why I could not wait any longer. I sent Timothy to find out if you were still believing. I was afraid that Satan had tried you too much. Then our work would have been for nothing.
6 But now Timothy has come back to us from you. He has brought us the good news that you are still believing and have love in your hearts. He has told us that you always remember us. He also told us that you want to see us, just as we want to see you.
7 My brothers, the way you believe has comforted us in all our troubles.
8 It gives us new life now to know that you are standing strong in the Lord.
9 We cannot thank God enough for you. We are very happy about you as we talk to God.
10 Night and day we ask God that we may see you face to face. We want to help you know more about what you believe.
11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, open the way for us to come to you.
12 May the Lord make you stronger in your love for each other. Love others in the way we love you.
13 We want the Lord to help you to stand strong. And then, when the Lord Jesus comes with all God's people, you will be holy in the eyes of our God and Father. He will see no fault in you.
4 And now, brothers, here is what we ask you to do. We beg you in the name of the Lord Jesus. We taught you how to live and to please God. You are living that way now, and we want you to do so more and more.
2 You know what we told you through the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 This is what God wants. He wants you to live clean lives. He wants you to keep away from wrong sex.
4 Each of you should know how to control yourself. Honour your body to make it holy.
5 Do not have sex with a person you are not married to. Control your strong feelings. Do not act like the people who do not know God.
6 Do not do wrong to your Christian brother by taking his wife for yourself. The Lord will surely punish all those who do wrong in these things. We have already told you that and made it very clear.
7 God did not call us to live unclean lives. He wants you to live clean and holy lives.
8 So anyone who does not obey is not just disobeying a man, but he is disobeying God. And it is God who has given us his Holy Spirit.
9 You do not need anyone to write to you about how to love each other. God himself has taught you to be loving towards each other.
10 And you do love all the Christian brothers who are in the whole country of Macedonia. But we beg you, brothers, love them more and more.
11 Please try to live a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work with your hands as we told you to do.
12 Then people who do not belong to the church will respect you. And you will not need help from anyone. here is something I want you to know about those who have died. You should not cry for them like people cry who have no hope.
13 We believe that Jesus died and rose again. And because of what Jesus did, God will bring back with him those who have died.
14 We tell you what the Lord said. We who are still alive when the Lord comes, will not go ahead of those who have died.
15 The Lord himself will come down from heaven. There will be a shout, a great angel will speak, and God's loud horn or trumpet will be blown.
16 Then we who are still alive on earth will be caught up together with those who were dead. We will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And then we will be with the Lord forever!
17 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
5 My brothers, you do not need anyone to write to you about the day or the year when these things will happen.
2 You your-selves surely know that the day of the Lord will come just like a person who comes to steal in the night.
3 When people are saying, `Everything is quiet and safe,' they will be destroyed. It will all happen very quickly. And there will be no way out. It will be like the pain that a woman has when a child is born.
4 But you, my brothers, are not in the dark. That day should not surprise you like a person who comes to steal.
5 You all belong to the light. You belong to the day. We do not belong to the night or to the dark.
6 So then, we must not go to sleep like other people. No, we must keep watching and not get drunk.
7 Because we belong to the day, we must not get drunk. But we must be ready like people dressed for war. We must keep believing in God. We must be loving towards each other. Faith and love will be like strong clothes to cover our bodies. The hope of being saved will protect us like a hat or helmet covers our head.
8 God did not choose us so that he might be angry with us. But he chose us so that we might be saved through our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 He died for us so that, if we are alive or dead, we will live with him.
10 So comfort and strengthen one another, just as you are doing. you to respect those who are working among you. They are your leaders in the Lord's work, and they tell you what you should do.
11 ) My brothers, we beg you, tell this to people who do not do what they should do. Talk to those who fear, and say something that will make them strong. Help those who are weak. Be patient with all people.
12 Do not let anyone do a wrong thing to a person if that person did a wrong thing to him. Always do good to one another. Be good to each other and to all men.
13 Always be happy.
14 Talk to God at all times.
15 Thank God for everything. This is what God wants you to do through Christ Jesus.
16 Do not stop the Spirit when he wants to do something.
17 Do not despise people who speak words from God.
18 But test everything that is said. Keep what is good.
19 Have nothing to do with any kind of wrong thing.
20 May God himself, who gives peace, make you pure and clean. You are set apart and belong only to him. And may your spirit and soul and body all together be kept free from fault until our Lord Jesus Christ comes.
21 ) It is God who calls you, and he can be trusted. He will surely do what he has said.
22 My brothers, ask God to help us.
23 Greet all the brothers with a kiss that is holy.
24 I give you this order from the Lord. Read this letter to all the Christian brothers.
25 May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you. May it be so.
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy send greetings to the church people in the city of Thessalonica. This church belongs to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 May God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, in their kindness, give you much happiness and peace.
3 My brothers, we thank God for you always. It is the right thing to do. You trust him more and more. You all love each other more and more.
4 So we are proud of you. We tell the churches of God about you because you are standing strong and you keep on believing in God. Your troubles and hard times do not stop you.
5 This proves that God will judge right. And he will say that you are good enough for the kingdom of God because you suffer for it.
6 God will do what is right. He will give trouble to those who are troubling you.
7 And he will give rest to you who are having troubles, and to us also. He will give this rest when our Lord Jesus comes back from heaven. The Lord Jesus will come with his strong angels in flaming fire.
8 He will punish those who do not know God, and those who do not obey the good news of our Lord Jesus.
9 They will be destroyed for ever. That will be their punishment. They will be for ever separated from the Lord and from his great and wonderful power.
10 This will happen on the day he comes. On that day his people will show how great and wonderful he is. And all those who have believed in him will be surprised at how great he is. That means you also, because you believed what we told you.
11 That is why we always talk to God about you. We want our God to make you fit for the good work to which he called you. We ask him to finish his good work of faith which trusts in his power.
12 In that way you will make the name of our Lord Jesus Christ great. And he will make you great. This will be because of the kindness of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 My brothers, we want to talk to you about the time when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again and we are taken to meet him.
2 Do not let your minds be easily upset. Do not be troubled by a spirit, or a message, or a letter. Do not be troubled if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come. Some people will say it came from us.
3 Do not let anyone fool you in any way. Before the day of the Lord comes, many people will stop believing God. The Man of Evil will be seen. He is the evil one who will be destroyed for ever.
4 He will put himself against God. He will put himself above everything to do with God, and above everything that people worship. He will sit in God's holy place and tell people that he is God.
5 You remember that I told you these things when I was still with you.
6 And you know what is holding that evil man back. He will not be seen until it is his time to be seen.
7 The plan to make people wrong has already begun to work. But someone is holding back that plan. He will stop the law-breaker for a time.
8 Then that evil man will be seen. The Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath from his mouth. The coming of the Lord Jesus will be so bright and wonderful that it will put the evil man to an end.
9 The coming of the evil man is the work of Satan. He will come in great power with signs that are not true, and wonderful things.
10 And by his bad tricks he will fool people who are lost. They will not love the true message which would have saved them.
11 That is why God lets them be fooled so that they will believe what is not true.
12 They will all be judged. I mean the people who have not believed in the true message but who wanted to do what is wrong.
13 My brothers, the Lord loves you. We should thank God for you always. Here is why. From the beginning God chose you to be saved. You were saved because the Spirit made you holy and because you believed the true message.
14 God called you to be saved by the good news we brought you. He did this so that you would have some of the honour which the Lord Jesus Christ has.
15 So my brothers, be strong. Hold on to the things we taught you by our words or by letter.
16 God has loved us and made us happy through his kindness. He gave us everlasting comfort and good hope.
17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, comfort your hearts and make you strong to do and say everything that is good.
3 My brothers, please talk to God about us. Ask God that the Lord's message may reach many people quickly and that they may receive it gladly as you did.
2 Ask God that we may be saved from bad people who do wrong things. Not everyone believes in Christ.
3 But the Lord can be trusted. He will make you strong. He will keep you safe from all that is wrong.
4 The Lord makes us feel sure about you. We are sure that you are doing, and will do, what we tell you to do.
5 May the Lord lead you to love God and be patient like Christ.
6 Now, my brothers, we tell you to do this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have nothing to do with any lazy brother who is not living the way we taught you.
7 You yourselves know how you should be like us. We were not lazy when we were with you.
8 We did not eat anyone's food without paying for it. But we worked very hard day and night because we did not want to trouble any one of you.
9 We have the right to be helped. But we wanted to show you what you should do in this matter.
10 Even when we were with you, we told you this, `If any man will not work, do not let him eat.'
11 We hear that some of you are lazy. You do not work, but you trouble other people.
12 We say to such lazy people, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, `Do your work quietly. Earn your own food.'
13 My brothers, do not get tired of doing what is good.
14 If any one will not obey what we say in this letter, look at that man and remember him. Have nothing to do with him, so that he will be ashamed.
15 Do not treat him like an enemy. Tell him, as you would tell a brother, what he should do.
16 The Lord gives peace. May he give his peace to you at all times in every way. May the Lord be with you all.
17 I, Paul, write these words of greeting with my own hand. This is the sign in all my letters that I wrote them.
18 The loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
1 I am Paul. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus. God and Christ Jesus told me to be an apostle. God is our Saviour, and Christ is the one who gives us hope.
2 Timothy, you are my true son because you believe the way I do. I ask God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord to show you love and kindness, and give you peace.
3 When I went to the country of Macedonia, I asked you to stay in the city of Ephesus. I wanted you to tell some of the teachers not to teach wrong things.
4 Tell them not to use stories that are not true, and long histories of names. These things often make people quarrel. These things do not make people believe and follow God's way.
5 Here is what teachers should aim at. God's people should love each other with a love which comes from a clean heart, a clear mind, and true faith.
6 Some teachers have not tried to do these things and so they talk about things that do no good.
7 They want to teach the law. But they do not understand what they say. And they do not know what they are trying to prove.
8 We know that the law is good when anyone uses it in the right way.
9 He must understand that the law was not made for the man who lives right. It was made for those who do not want any laws over them, and for those who will not obey. It was made for those who do not respect God, and those who are bad people. It was made for those who do not respect anything that is holy or belongs to God. It was made for those who beat their fathers or mothers, and for those who kill people.
10 It was made for those who use sex in the wrong way and for men who have sex with other men. It was made for those who steal people, for those who tell lies, for those who make a promise that is not true, and for any other thing that is not right.
11 The wonderful good news of God teaches what is right. Praise him! And he has trusted me to tell this good news.
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who gave me power to tell the good news. I thank him because he believed he could trust me, and he chose me for this work.
13 There was a time when I did not respect him. I troubled his people. I said wrong things about him. But he was very kind to me, because I did not know what I was doing and I did not believe in him.
14 Our Lord showed me much love and kindness. I believed in him and had the love which comes from Christ Jesus.
15 These are true words and everyone should believe them. `Christ Jesus came into the world to save bad people.' And I am the worst of all.
16 Jesus Christ wanted to show that he is very, very patient. And so he was kind to me who was the worst. He did this so that others would believe in him and live for ever.
17 Give honour and praise for ever and ever to the one who is King for ever. He will never die. He cannot be seen. He is the only God. Yes, he is!
18 My son Timothy, here is what I tell you to do. And it is what the prophets said about you before. Remember their words, and fight like a good soldier.
19 Keep on believing. Do only what you know is right. Some people have not done that and they have stopped believing.
20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them. I have given them to Satan so that they will be punished and learn not to teach things that do not respect God.
2 First of all, I want God's people to do this. They must talk to God for all the people. They must ask God to help them. They must ask God to give them what they need. They must thank God for all that he gives them.
2 They must talk to God for all the kings and all rulers. They must do this so that we may live in peace and quiet, so that we may please God and do what is right.
3 This is a good thing. And God, our Saviour, is pleased when people do it.
4 He wants all people to be saved and to know what is true.
5 There is one God. There is also one man who can open the way between God and all people. That man is Christ Jesus.
6 He gave his life to set all men free. This matter was told at the right time.
7 I was chosen to tell about this and to be an apostle. I am telling the truth. I am not lying. I was chosen to teach people who are not Jews. I must teach them to believe and to know what is true.
8 So I want men in every place to talk to God. They must have clean lives when they lift up their hands to talk to God. They must not be angry. They must have faith in God.
9 I also want women to wear the right kind of clothes. They should not make a show of themselves, but use good sense. They should not fix up their hair in a fancy way, or wear gold and fine stones, or clothes that cost much money.
10 But women should busy themselves with good works. This is the right thing for women who say they worship God.
11 A woman must learn quietly and be very humble.
12 I do not allow any woman to teach or to rule over a man. She must remain quiet.
13 Adam was not fooled. But the woman was fooled and did wrong.
14 But anyway, the women will come safely through the time of delivering a child, if they keep on believing and loving God, and if they live a clean life and keep humble.
3 These are true words. If a man wants to be a leader of the church people, he seeks a good thing.
2 For a man to be a church leader, people must speak well of him. He must have only one wife. He must be able to control himself. He must use good sense. He must behave himself well. He must be kind to strangers in his house. He must be a good teacher.
3 He must not get drunk. He must not fight. But he must be kind. He must not quarrel. He must not love money.
4 He must be a good leader for his own family. His children must obey him and respect him.
5 If a man does not know how to lead his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?
6 A church leader must not be a new believer. If he were a new believer, he might become proud and set himself up like the devil did.
7 People who are not church people must also speak well of a church leader, so that he will not fall into the devil's trap.
8 In the same way, the leader's helpers must be men whom people respect. They must not say one thing one time and something different another time. They must not drink too much wine. They must not try to get rich in wrong ways.
9 They must know God's plan and what we believe. They must do only what they know is right.
10 Try these men first. Then let them help the church people if they have done nothing wrong.
11 In the same way, their wives must be women whom people respect. They must not tell lies about anyone. They must be able to control themselves. They must live so that people can trust them in all things.
12 The leader's helpers must have only one wife. They must be good leaders for their children and family.
13 When they have done the work of a helper well, people will respect them. If they do well, they will not fear to tell what they believe about Christ Jesus.
14 I am writing to you about these matters even though I hope to come to you soon.
15 Then if I do not come right away, you will know what people should do in God's family. This family is the church of the living God. The church people hold what is true and keeps it strong.
16 God's plan is very great as we all know. Here it is: we saw God as a man; God's Spirit proved he was right; angels saw him; the nations were told about him; people of the world believed in him; God took him up into heaven.
4 The Spirit of God says very plainly that in later times some people will stop believing. They will listen to other spirits that fool them, and to the teaching of bad spirits.
2 Men will tell lies and make people believe they are something when they are not. These men will have made their hearts so hard that they will not know they are doing wrong.
3 They will teach people that they should not marry. They will teach them not to eat some kinds of food. God made the food and he wanted people to take it and thank him for it. Those who believe and know what is true do this.
4 Everything that God has made for food is good. It is all right to eat it if people thank God for it.
5 God's word and asking him to bless the food makes it good for people to eat.
6 Tell the Christian brothers and sisters these things and you will do the work of Christ Jesus well. Your own heart will be fed by the things you have believed and the good teaching you have followed.
7 Have nothing to do with foolish stories. Make yourself strong in the things that please God.
8 `To make the body strong helps a little, but the things of God help us in all ways. The things of God promise us life now and life in heaven.'
9 These are true words and everyone should believe them.
10 That is why we work hard and put up with troubles. We trust in the living God who came to save all people. He makes a way for those who believe in him.
11 Tell people these things and teach them to do them.
12 Do not let anyone despise you because you are a young man. Show those who believe how they should live. Show them by the way you talk. Show them by the way you live. Show them by the way you love. Show them how to believe by the way you believe. Show them how to live a clean life by the way you live a clean life.
13 Until I come, read the holy writings to people. Talk to them and teach them.
14 Use the gift you have. It was given to you when the church leaders put their hands on your head and gave you a message from God.
15 Take time to think about these things. Then everybody will see how well you are going ahead in your work.
16 Take care of yourself and what you teach. Keep on doing this. If you do, you will save yourself and those who listen to you.
5 Do not be angry with an older man if he has done something wrong, but talk kindly to him as you would talk to your father. Talk to the young men like brothers.
2 Talk to the older women like mothers. Talk to the young women like sisters. And be sure to keep a clean mind and heart in all this.
3 Help widow women, whose husbands are dead, if they have no one to help them.
4 If they have children or grandchildren, they should learn that the first place to do God's work is in the home to help their own family. They should help their parents because their parents have helped them. This will please God.
5 A widow who has no one to help her, and is alone, trusts in God. Day and night she talks to God and asks him for the things she needs.
6 But a woman who spends her time in pleasing herself is really dead, even while she still lives.
7 Tell them these things so that they will do what is right.
8 A man must care for his own people. At least he must care for his family. If he does not care for them, he shows that he does not believe in God. He is worse than one who has never believed.
9 A widow who is over sixty years old, may be chosen to help the church people. But she must have been the wife of one husband.
10 People must speak well of the good works she has done. Has she brought up children? Has she been kind to strangers and cared for them in her house? Has she washed the feet of God's people? Has she helped people who were in trouble? Has she done every kind of good thing to help people?
11 But do not choose young women. When they begin to love other things more than Christ, they will want to marry again.
12 And that will be wrong for them because they have not kept their first promise.
13 Not only that, but they also become lazy. They walk about going from house to house. Not only are they lazy but they talk too much and tell stories about people. They tell things they should not tell.
14 So I would like young women to marry again and have children. They should care for their homes. They should do nothing that would make the enemy say wrong things about them.
15 Some have already turned away to follow Satan.
16 Do any Christians have in their families women whose husbands are dead? If they do, they should help them. The church people should not have to care for them. Then the church can help the women who have no one to help them.
17 The leaders of the church people who rule well should be given greater honour and reward. At least do this for those who work hard in speaking and teaching.
18 The holy writings say, `You may not tie the mouth of a cow when it is walking on the grain to beat it out.' And also, `The man who works should be paid for it.'
19 Do not listen to a complaint against a leader if what he has done has not been seen and proved by two or three people.
20 Talk to those who live a wrong life and tell them to stop it. Talk to them in front of all the church members. Then the others will be afraid to do it.
21 I say this before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels of God. Do these things in an honest way. Do not treat one person better than another person.
22 Do not be in a hurry to place your hands on a man as a sign for him to be a leader. Do not take part in the wrong things another man does. Keep yourself clean.
23 Do not drink water only. But drink a little wine to help your stomach because you are sick so often.
24 The wrong things some men do can be seen clearly and show that they should be punished. But wrong things other people do are not seen until later.
25 So also, the good things are seen clearly. Even when they are not seen at first, they will be seen later.
6 Servants should respect their bosses in every way. Then people will not say wrong things about God's name and what we teach.
2 Those who work for Christian masters should not take life easy just because the person they work for is a Christian. They should work all the better because they are loved by them. Teach these things and tell people to do them.
3 Is there anyone who teaches something different? Or is there anyone who does not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ? Or does he not agree with teaching about the things of God?
4 If there is such a person, he is full of pride. He knows nothing. He wants to quarrel and talk about words. Such things make people jealous of each other. They think wrong thoughts about each other which are not true.
5 They quarrel. The minds of these men are bad. They do not know what is true. They think that worshipping God makes people rich. Keep away from such people.
6 It is true that people are much better off if they live to please God and if they are satisfied.
7 When we were born, we brought nothing into this world, and when we die, we can take nothing out of the world.
8 If we have food and clothes, that should be enough.
9 People who want to be rich have trouble. They get caught in a trap. They want many foolish things which are wrong for them. Because of this, men are lost and punished for ever.
10 Because people love money they do all kinds of wrong things. Some people have stopped believing in God because they want money so much. And it brings them many troubles.
11 But you belong to God, Timothy. Have nothing to do with all this. But do what is right. Do what God wants you to do. Believe in Christ. Be loving. Be patient. Be kind.
12 Work hard at believing in God more and more. Make sure that you get everlasting life; God called you to have it. You stood before many people and said that you believed in Christ. That was the right thing to say.
13 Now we stand before God who gives life to all things. We stand before Christ who said what was right when he was in court before Pontius Pilate. I tell you to do this.
14 Do what you have been told to do. And do it so there will be nothing wrong, until our Lord Jesus Christ comes.
15 At the right time God will bring Christ back. Praise God! He alone is ruler. He is King over all kings, and Lord over all lords.
16 He alone has everlasting life. He lives in such light that no one can go near him. No person has ever seen him, or can see him. May he have honour and respect and have everlasting power. May it be so!
17 Tell the rich people in this world not to be proud. Tell them to trust in God not in short-lived riches. He gives us richly all things to make us happy.
18 Tell the rich people to do good. Tell them to do many good things. Tell them to give to other people, and to help those who are in need.
19 In this way they will store up good things for themselves for the time to come. Then they will get that life which really is the true life.
20 Timothy, take good care of what has been given to you. Some teachers say they know many things, but these things are not true. Do not teach these foolish things that do not come from God. Do not teach these things that do not agree together.
21 Some men have believed these things and have stopped believing in Christ. May God bless all of you.
1 I am Paul. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus because God wanted me to be. This is because God has promised life through Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy, you are my son and I love you very much. May God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord, bless you. May they be kind to you and give you peace.
3 I worship God with a clean heart, as my fathers did. And I thank God when I talk to him about you. I always do this night and day.
4 I want very much to see you. I remember how you cried when we left you. When I see you, how happy I shall be!
5 I remember that you really believe. Your grandmother Lois believed first. Your mother Eunice believed too. I am sure that you believe in the same way.
6 That is why I am telling you again. You must use God's gift. It was given to you when I put my hands on your head.
7 God has not given us a spirit of fear. But he has given us a spirit of power and love and self-control.
8 So do not be ashamed to talk about our Lord. And do not be ashamed of me. I am his prisoner. Be patient in your trouble also, because you tell the good news. God will give you the power to do it.
9 God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did not do it because of the good things we have done. He did it because he himself planned to do it, and wanted to do it. That was the blessing he gave us in Christ Jesus. He had this plan before he made the world.
10 But now he has made it real through the coming of Jesus Christ who saves. He has put death out of the way. He has shown people can have everlasting life by telling them the good news.
11 I have been chosen to tell that good news. I have been chosen to go out and teach it to those who are not Jews.
12 That is why I have this trouble. But I am not ashamed of it because I know the one whom I have trusted. And I am sure he is able to keep safe what I have trusted to him. He will keep it safe until that great day when he comes again.
13 Take what I have taught you as a guide for good teaching. Keep believing in Christ Jesus and loving him.
14 Keep safe that good thing which was trusted to you. The Holy Spirit who lives in us will help you.
15 You know that all the men who live in the country of Asia Minor have left me. Phygellus and Hermogenes are among them.
16 I hope the Lord will be kind to the family of Onesiphorus. He has often helped me. He has not been ashamed of me in prison.
17 When he came to the city of Rome, he looked for me until he found me.
18 I hope the Lord will be kind to him on that great day. You know very well all that he did for me in the city of Ephesus.
2 So, my son Timothy, be strong. Christ Jesus has blessed you so that you can be strong.
2 You and many others heard what I taught. Now you must teach these things to men who can be trusted, men who will be able to teach them to other people also.
3 Be patient in your trouble like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 A soldier who is fighting does not live the way other people do. He wants to please the one who chose him.
5 A man runs a race. But he does not win if he does not obey the rules.
6 A farmer works hard planting. He should be the first one to have the food that grows.
7 Think about what I say and the Lord will help you understand everything.
8 Keep your mind on Jesus Christ. He was raised from death. He was of the family of David. That is the good news I tell people.
9 Because of that, I have trouble. I am even tied with chains like a bad man. But the word of God is not tied up.
10 That is why I bear all my trouble for the sake of God's chosen people. I do it so that they also may be saved by Christ Jesus and be made great for ever.
11 These are true words: If we died with Christ, we shall also live with him.
12 If we bear all our troubles, we shall also rule with him. If we say we do not know him, then he will also say he does not know us.
13 If we do not believe in him, he still is true, because he cannot say he is not what he is.
14 Tell people these things again. Tell them before the Lord not to quarrel in their teaching. There is no good in doing that. It upsets the minds of those who listen to them.
15 Try to show God that you are a good worker. Do nothing you would be ashamed of. Tell the true message in the right way.
16 Have no part in foolish talk that does not come from God. That kind of talk will take people farther and farther away from God.
17 Their teaching will spread like bad sickness. Hymenaeus and Philetus are two like that.
18 These men say that the time when people are raised from death is past already. That is not true. And what they say is making some people stop believing.
19 But the truth of God stands strong. It cannot change. These words are sure: `The Lord knows the people who belong to him' and, `Let all those who use the name of the Lord stop their wrong ways.'
20 In a large house there are many pots. They are not all made of gold and silver. Some are made of wood, and some of earth. Some are used for fine things and some are used for things that are not so fine.
21 So if a person keeps himself clean from these things, he will be like a dish that is used for a fine work. It is kept as a better dish for the head man of the house, and it is ready for any good thing he wants to use it for.
22 Have no part at all in the wrong things that young men like to do. Believe. Have love. Follow what is right. Live at peace. Do these things along with others who have a clean heart and talk to God.
23 Keep out of foolish quarrels. You know that they start fights.
24 The Lord's servant must not fight. But he must be kind to all people. He must be a good teacher to them. He must be patient with them.
25 When he corrects those who are against him, he must do it in a gentle way. It may be that God will turn their hearts to know what is true.
26 And they may get free again from the devil's trap. He has caught them to do what he wants them to do.
3 Be sure of this. In the last days hard times will come.
2 People will love themselves. They will love money. They will talk about themselves and be proud. They will say wrong things about people. They will not obey their parents. They will not be thankful. They will not keep anything holy.
3 They will have no love. They will not agree with anybody. They will tell lies about people. They will have no self-control. They will beat people. They will not love anything that is good.
4 They cannot be trusted. They will act quickly, without thinking. They are proud of themselves. They love to have fun more than they love God.
5 They act as if they worshipped God, yet they do not let God's power work in their lives. Keep away from people like that.
6 They are the kind who go quietly into people's houses. There they get foolish women to believe them. These women know that they have done many wrong things. And they want to do many kinds of wrong things.
7 They are always trying to learn, but never able to find out what is really true.
8 Jannes and Jambres were two men who were very much against Moses. In the same way, these men I am talking about are against what is true. They are men who have wrong thoughts in their minds. They do not believe.
9 But these men will not get very far. Everyone will see that they are wrong, just as people saw that Jannes and Jambres were wrong.
10 Timothy, you know my teaching and the way I lived. You know what I want to do and what I believe. You know my patience, my love, and my strength to bear trouble.
11 You know about my troubles. You know what happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra. You know how badly the people treated me. But the Lord brought me safely through it all.
12 Yes, all who want to live a good life in Christ Jesus will be troubled by other people.
13 Bad men and those who fool other people will grow worse and worse. They will fool other people, and other people will fool them.
14 But you, Timothy, must keep on doing the things you have learned. You know they are right. You know who taught them to you.
15 From the time you were a child you knew the holy writings. They showed you how to be saved by believing in Christ Jesus.
16 All that is written in the holy writings comes from the Spirit of God. The holy writings are good for these things: to teach people, to show them when they are wrong, to make them see what is right, to teach them to do what is right.
17 In this way a person who belongs to God has all he needs. He is ready for every kind of good work.
4 I say this before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge people who are living and people who are dead. I say this to you because he will come back and rule over all.
2 Tell people the word of God. Be ready to do it at any time. Show people they are wrong and talk to them about it. Tell them what they should do. Be very patient with them and teach them in many ways.
3 The time is coming when people will not listen to good teaching. They will want to listen to the things they like to hear. And they will bring in many teachers who will teach them just what they want to do.
4 They will not listen to what is true, but will turn away and listen to strange stories.
5 But you, Timothy, must always be watching. Be patient in your troubles. Tell the good news. Do all the work God has given you to do.
6 My life is already being poured out as an offering to God. The time is here for me to leave this life.
7 I have fought the kind of fight that is good. I have reached the mark on the road that God wanted me to reach. And I have kept on believing in him.
8 From now on, my reward is waiting for me, because I have done what is right. The Lord will repay me on the day when he comes back. He judges the right way. I will not be the only one to get a reward from him. But he will repay all those who want very much to see him.
9 Try to come to me soon.
10 Demas has left me because he loved the things of this world. He has gone to the city of Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you. He helps me very much in my work.
12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
13 I left a coat with Carpus in Troas. Bring it with you when you come, and also bring the books. But most of all, I want the written papers.
14 Alexander, the man who makes things from copper, did many wrong things to me. The Lord will punish him for what he has done.
15 You too must keep away from him, for he was very much against what we said.
16 The first time I spoke for myself in court, no one was on my side. All left me. I hope that God will forgive them.
17 But the Lord was with me. He gave me strength to tell the message. All those who are not Jews heard it. And I was saved out of the mouth of the lion.
18 The Lord will save me from every wrong thing. He will bring me safely into the kingdom of heaven. Praise him for ever and ever. Yes, he will!
19 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, and to the people who belong to the house of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus stayed in the city of Corinth. Trophimus was sick when I left him at Miletus.
21 Try to come before the cold time of the year. Eubulus sends you greetings. So do Pudens, Linus, and Claudia and all the Christian brothers.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. May he in his kindness bless you. Amen. May it be so!
1 I am Paul. I am a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to God's chosen people so that they will believe and know what is true. This will make them more like God wants them to be.
2 I do this work because then they can hope to have everlasting life. God does not fool people. He promised everlasting life before he made the world.
3 And at the right time he sent men to tell people his word. God, who saves us, trusted me and told me to tell that word.
4 Titus, I send greetings to you. You are my true son because you believe the same way I do. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour bless you, and be kind to you, and give you peace. of Crete. I want you to finish putting things in order. And I want you to choose leaders among the church people in every city as I told you to do.
5 A leader must be a good man, that no one can blame for doing anything wrong. He must have only one wife. His children should believe. They must not live wrong lives.
6 The church leader must be a good man because he looks after God's work. He must not want his own way. He must not get angry or get drunk. He must not fight. He must not try to get rich in wrong ways.
7 But he must be kind to strangers in his house. He must love what is good. He must be wise. He must do what is right. He must live a holy life. He must know how to control himself.
8 He must hold strongly to the true message which he has been taught. Then he will be able to teach other people what is right. And he will be able to answer people who talk against it.
9 There are many people who do not obey God's truth. They talk about things that do no good, and they fool people by it. The Jewish leaders do this very much.
10 You must put a stop to their talking. They stop whole families from believing in Christ because they teach things which they have no right to teach. They teach because they want to get paid for it, even though it is wrong.
11 One of their own prophets said, `The people of Crete are always telling lies. They are like wild, bad animals. They are lazy and want to eat too much.'
12 What he said is true. You must tell them that they are wrong. Tell them to stop it. They must believe what is true.
13 They must not use the old Jewish stories. They must not use the rules which were made by men who do not believe what is true.
14 All things are clean to those who have a clean mind. But nothing is clean to those who do wrong things and do not believe. Their minds and their hearts are full of wrong things.
15 They say that they know God. But what they do shows that they do not know him. They live in a way that God hates. They do not obey. They can do nothing that is good.
2 But as for you, Titus, you must teach what is right.
2 Tell the older men that they must not drink too much wine. They must be men whom people respect. They must be wise. They must believe what is true. They must be loving and patient.
3 Tell the older women also that they must live like Christians. They must not tell lies about anyone. They must not drink much wine. They must teach what is good.
4 They must teach the young women to love their husbands and their children.
5 They must teach young women to have good sense, to live a clean life, to care for their homes, to be kind, and to obey their husbands. Then people cannot say wrong things about God's word.
6 Also tell the young men to have good sense.
7 Titus, show them what they should do in all matters by the good things you do. Do not mix your teaching with things that are not true. Teach in such a way that people will respect you.
8 Be sure that what you say is true, so that no one can say anything against it. Then anyone who is against us will be made ashamed because he can find nothing wrong to say about us.
9 Tell servants to obey their master in everything. Tell them to please them and not talk back to them.
10 They must not steal, but be very honest so the person they work for can trust them. In all things they must show that the teaching about God our Saviour is good.
11 God's loving kindness has come. It is through that blessing that all men are saved.
12 It teaches us to say no to the things that are not true of God, and to the things of this world. It teaches us to use good sense, to do what is right, and to please God while we live in this world.
13 All this is while we wait and hope to see the one who brings blessing. We are waiting for our great God to come in Jesus Christ. He is the One who will save us. He is wonderful!
14 Christ gave himself for us so that he might make us free from all that is wrong. He gave himself to make us into clean people who belong to him and want to do good.
15 Talk about these things. Tell people they must do them. And use all your power to stop people if they are doing wrong. Do not let anyone despise you.
3 Tell the people again to obey their rulers and governments, and to do what they tell them to do. Tell them to be ready to do any honest work.
2 They must not say wrong things about anyone. They must not quarrel. They must be kind and polite to everyone.
3 There was a time when we ourselves did not have understanding. We did not obey God. We were fooled by people. We did many wrong things we wanted to do. We did what we pleased. We lived our days in planning to do wrong things and wanting what other people had. People hated us, and we hated each other.
4 God who saves us showed how kind and good he is.
5 We were not saved by any good things we did ourselves, but he saved us because he is so kind. He washed us clean. We were born again as a new person. The Holy Spirit has made us new.
6 God is rich. And he gave the Holy Spirit to us because of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
7 He did this so that we can be put right with God, by his kindness. He did this so that we can become his children. So now we can look forward to everlasting life.
8 These are true words. And I want you to tell the people these things. Then those who have believed God will try to do good things. These things are right and help people.
9 Have nothing to do with: foolish quarrels; lists of people who lived long ago; those who make trouble and argue about the law. These things do not help people and are good for nothing.
10 Talk to any who do not believe right. Talk to them about it once or twice. Then, if they will not listen, have nothing more to do with them.
11 You know that such people are wrong and what they do is wrong. They themselves know that they are wrong. Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at the city of Nicopolis. I have planned to stay there while it is the cold time of the year.
12 Do your best to send Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos on their way. Give them all they need.
13 Our people should learn to spend their time in doing good things to help people who are poor. In that way, our people will not waste their time. Greet those who believe as we do and who love us. God bless you all.
1 I am Paul. I am in prison because I belong to Christ Jesus. Our brother Timothy and I send greetings to you, Philemon. We love you very much. And you work with us.
2 We also send greetings to our sister Apphia; to Archippus who is worker in God's army as we are; and to the people who meet as a church in your house.
3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you in their kindness and give you peace.
4 I always thank my God when I talk to him about you.
5 I have heard that you love all of God's people and that you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
6 You believe as I do. I ask God that he may help you to know more and more of every good thing that we have in Christ.
7 My brother, your love made me very glad and it comforted my heart. I know that God's people were glad because you loved them.
8 Because I am Christ's apostle, I could tell you what you must do.
9 But because I love you, I would rather not tell you, but ask you to do this for me. I, Paul, am an old man and now I am in prison because I belong to Jesus Christ.
10 I am asking you to do something for my son. He became a Christian here in prison. This son is Onesimus.
11 At one time he was no help to you. But now he is a big help to you and to me.
12 I am sending him back to you and it is like sending you my own heart.
13 I would like to keep him with me. He can help me while I am in prison for the sake of the good news. That would be just as if you were here to help me.
14 But I did not want to do anything unless you agreed. I did not want you to do this because you were forced to do it, but because you wanted to do it.
15 Maybe it was good for him to be away from you for a while. Now you will have him with you for ever.
16 Now he is not like a slave who must work for you. He is better than a slave. He is a Christian brother and you will love him. I love him very much. But you will love him even more because he belongs to you and he is a Christian.
17 So if you think of me as a real friend, take him back just as you would take me back.
18 If he has done you any wrong, or if he owes you a debt, then ask me to pay it.
19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it. I do not need to tell you that you have your life because of what I did for you.
20 Yes, my brother, give me some help in the Lord. Make me happy in Christ.
21 I believe that you will do what I ask you to do. And so I am writing to you. I know that you will do even more than I ask you to do.
22 At the same time, please make a place ready for me to stay. I know you are asking God to set me free, so I believe he will let me come to see you.
23 Epaphras is in prison with me for the sake of Christ Jesus. He sends greetings to you.
24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke are working with me. They all send greetings too.
25 May the loving kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen! May it be so!
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