1 P aul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, according to a promise of life that in Christ Jesus,

Paul, an apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

2 t o Timotheus, beloved child: Grace, kindness, peace, from God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord!

To Timothy, beloved child: Grace (favor and spiritual blessing), mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!

3 I am thankful to God, whom I serve from progenitors in a pure conscience, that unceasingly I have remembrance concerning thee in my supplications night and day,

I thank God Whom I worship with a pure conscience, in the spirit of my fathers, when without ceasing I remember you night and day in my prayers,

4 d esiring greatly to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that with joy I may be filled,

And when, as I recall your tears, I yearn to see you so that I may be filled with joy.

5 t aking remembrance of the unfeigned faith that is in thee, that dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that also in thee.

I am calling up memories of your sincere and unqualified faith (the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), that first lived permanently in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am persuaded, in you also.

6 F or which cause I remind thee to stir up the gift of God that is in thee through the putting on of my hands,

That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the gift of God, that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands '> with those of the elders at your ordination].

7 f or God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

8 t herefore thou mayest not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but do thou suffer evil along with the good news according to the power of God,

Do not blush or be ashamed then, to testify to and for our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake, but '> with me] take your share of the suffering of the Gospel in the power of God.

9 w ho did save us, and did call with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, that was given to us in Christ Jesus, before the times of the ages,

Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness; not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

10 a nd was made manifest now through the manifestation of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who indeed did abolish death, and did enlighten life and immortality through the good news,

which He now has made known and has fully disclosed and made real through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, Who annulled death and made it of no effect and brought life and immortality (immunity from eternal death) to light through the Gospel.

11 t o which I was placed a preacher and an apostle, and a teacher of nations,

For this I was appointed a herald (preacher) and an apostle (special messenger) and a teacher of the Gentiles.

12 f or which cause also these things I suffer, but I am not ashamed, for I have known in whom I have believed, and have been persuaded that he is able that which I have committed to him to guard -- to that day.

And this is why I am suffering as I do. Still I am not ashamed, for I know (perceive, have knowledge of, and am acquainted with) Him Whom I have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on), and I am persuaded that He is able to guard and keep that which has been entrusted to me and which I have committed until that day.

13 T he pattern hold thou of sound words, which from me thou didst hear, in faith and love that in Christ Jesus;

Hold fast and follow the pattern of wholesome and sound teaching which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

14 t he good thing committed guard thou through the Holy Spirit that is dwelling in us;

Guard and keep the precious and excellently adapted which has been entrusted, by the Holy Spirit Who makes His home in us.

15 t hou hast known this, that they did turn from me -- all those in Asia, of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes;

You already know that all who are in Asia turned away and forsook me, Phygelus and Hermogenes among them.

16 m ay the Lord give kindness to the house of Onesiphorus, because many times he did refresh me, and of my chain was not ashamed,

May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, for he often showed me kindness and ministered to my needs! He was not ashamed of my chains and imprisonment.

17 b ut being in Rome, very diligently he sought me, and found;

No, rather when he reached Rome, he searched diligently and eagerly for me and found me.

18 m ay the Lord give to him to find kindness from the Lord in that day; and how many things in Ephesus he did minister thou dost very well know.

May the Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord on that day! And you know how many things he did for me and what a help he was at Ephesus.