2Ti 3-4 | ESV | STEP | But understand this , that in the last days there will come times of difficulty .

1 But understand this, that ^ain the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be ^blovers of self, ^clovers of money, ^dproud, ^earrogant, abusive, ^fdisobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 ^gheartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, ^hnot loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, ⁱswollen with conceit, ^jlovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but ^kdenying its power. ^lAvoid such people. 6 For among them are ^mthose who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to ⁿarrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as ^oJannes and Jambres ^popposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, ^qmen corrupted in mind and ^rdisqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, ^sas was that of those two men.

All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God

10 ^tYou, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me ^uat Antioch, ^vat Iconium, and ^wat Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet ^xfrom them all ^ythe Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to ^zlive a godly life in Christ Jesus ^aawill be persecuted, 13 while ^abevil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and ^acbeing deceived. 14 But as for you, ^adcontinue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom ^{▼▼The Greek for whom is plural} you learned it 15 and how ^affrom childhood you have been acquainted with ^agthe sacred writings, ^ahwhich are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 ^aiAll Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that ^ajthe man of God ^{▼▼That is, a messenger of God (the phrase echoes a common Old Testament expression)} may be complete, ^alequipped ^amfor every good work.

2 Timothy 4

Preach the Word

1 ^anI charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, ^aowho is to judge the living and the dead, and by ^aphis appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; ^aqreprove, rebuke, and ^arexhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 ^asFor the time is coming when people will not endure ^atsound ^{▼▼Or healthy} teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and ^avwill turn away from listening to the truth and ^awwander off into myths. 5 As for you, ^axalways be sober-minded, ^ayendure suffering, do the work of ^azan evangelist, ^bafulfill your ministry.

6 For ^bbI am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my ^bcdeparture has come. 7 ^bdI have fought the good fight, ^beI have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is ^bflaid up for me ^bgthe crown of righteousness, which the Lord, ^bhthe righteous judge, will award to me on ^bithat day, and not only to me but also to all ^bjwho have loved his appearing.

Personal Instructions

9 ^bkDo your best to come to me soon. 10 For ^blDemas, ^bmin love with ^bnthis present world, ^bohas deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, ^{▼▼Some manuscripts Gaul} ^bqTitus to Dalmatia. 11 ^brLuke alone is with me. Get ^bsMark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 ^btTychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 ^buAlexander the coppersmith did me great harm; ^bvthe Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. ^bwMay it not be charged against them! 17 But ^bxthe Lord stood by me and ^bystrengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and ^bzall the Gentiles might hear it. So ^caI was rescued ^cbfrom the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. ^ccTo him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

19 Greet ^cdPrisca and Aquila, and ^cethe household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left ^cfTrophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 ^cgDo your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God’s family, the church}

22 The Lord be ^ciwith your spirit. ^cjGrace be with you. ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural}