²⁴ As the Lord’s slave, you shouldn’t exhaust yourself in bickering; instead, be gentle—no matter who you are dealing with—ready and able to teach, tolerant without resentment, ²⁵ gently instructing those who stand up against you. Besides, the time may come when God grants them a change of heart^[a] so that they can arrive at the full knowledge of truth. ²⁶ And if they come to their senses, they can escape the devil’s snare and walk freed from his captivity and evil bidding.