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Punishment Is Inevitable

15 Then the Lord said to me: Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!(A) And when they say to you, “Where shall we go?” you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord:

Those destined for pestilence, to pestilence,
    and those destined for the sword, to the sword;
those destined for famine, to famine,
    and those destined for captivity, to captivity.(B)

And I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, says the Lord: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the air and the wild animals of the earth to devour and destroy.(C) I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what King Manasseh son of Hezekiah of Judah did in Jerusalem.(D)

Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,
    or who will bemoan you?
Who will turn aside
    to ask about your welfare?
You have rejected me, says the Lord;
    you are going backward,
so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you—
    I am weary of relenting.(E)
I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork
    in the gates of the land;
I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people;
    they did not turn from their ways.(F)
Their widows became more numerous
    than the sand of the seas;
I have brought against the mothers of youths
    a destroyer at noonday;
I have made anguish and terror
    fall upon her suddenly.
She who bore seven has languished;
    she has swooned away;
her sun went down while it was yet day;
    she has been shamed and disgraced.
And the rest of them I will give to the sword
    before their enemies,
            says the Lord.(G)

Jeremiah Complains Again and Is Reassured

10 Woe is me, my mother, that you ever bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.(H) 11 The Lord said: Surely I have intervened in your life[a] for good; surely I have brought enemies upon you[b] in a time of trouble and in a time of distress.(I) 12 Can one break iron, iron from the north, and bronze?

13 Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory.(J) 14 I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn against you.(K)

15 O Lord, you know;
    remember me and visit me,
    and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance do not take me away;
    know that on your account I suffer insult.(L)
16 Your words were found, and I ate them,
    and your words became to me a joy
    and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
    O Lord, God of hosts.(M)
17 I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,
    nor did I rejoice;
under the weight of your hand I sat alone,
    for you had filled me with indignation.(N)
18 Why is my pain unceasing,
    my wound incurable,
    refusing to be healed?
Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,
    like waters that fail.(O)

19 Therefore thus says the Lord:
If you turn back, I will take you back,
    and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless,
    you shall serve as my mouth.
It is they who will turn to you,
    not you who will turn to them.(P)
20 And I will make you to this people
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
    but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
    to save you and deliver you,
            says the Lord.(Q)
21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked
    and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.(R)

Jeremiah’s Celibacy and Message

16 The word of the Lord came to me:(S) You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.(T) For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place and concerning the mothers who bear them and the fathers who father them in this land:(U) They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried; they shall become like dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall become food for the birds of the air and for the wild animals of the earth.(V)

For thus says the Lord: Do not enter the house of mourning or go to lament or bemoan them, for I have taken away my peace from this people, says the Lord, my steadfast love and mercy.(W) Both great and small shall die in this land; they shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them; there shall be no gashing, no shaving of the head for them.(X) No one shall break bread[c] for the mourner, to offer comfort for the dead, nor shall anyone give them the cup of consolation to drink for their fathers or their mothers.(Y) You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink.(Z) For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to banish from this place, in your days and before your eyes, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.(AA)

10 And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, “Why has the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?”(AB) 11 then you shall say to them: It is because your ancestors have forsaken me, says the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them and have forsaken me and have not kept my law,(AC) 12 and because you have behaved worse than your ancestors, for here you are, every one of you, following your stubborn evil will, refusing to listen to me.(AD) 13 Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.(AE)

God Will Restore Israel

14 Therefore, the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when it shall no longer be said, “As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of Egypt,”(AF) 15 but “As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had driven them.” For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their ancestors.(AG)

16 I am now sending for many fishermen, says the Lord, and they shall catch them, and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill and out of the clefts of the rocks.(AH) 17 For my eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from my presence, nor is their iniquity concealed from my sight.(AI) 18 And[d] I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.(AJ)

19 O Lord, my strength and my stronghold,
    my refuge in the day of trouble,
to you shall the nations come
    from the ends of the earth and say:
“Our ancestors have inherited nothing but lies,
    worthless things in which there is no profit.(AK)
20 Can mortals make for themselves gods?
    Such are no gods!”(AL)

21 “Therefore I am surely going to teach them, this time I am going to teach them my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord.”(AM)

Judah’s Sin and Punishment

17 The sin of Judah is written with an iron pen; with a diamond point it is engraved on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of their altars,(AN) while their children remember their altars and their sacred poles[e] beside every green tree and on the high hills, on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your sin[f] throughout all your territory. By your own act you shall lose the heritage that I gave you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.(AO)

Thus says the Lord:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
    and make mere flesh their strength,
    whose hearts turn away from the Lord.(AP)
They shall be like a shrub in the desert
    and shall not see when relief comes.
They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salt land.(AQ)

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.(AR)
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
    sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
    and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
    and it does not cease to bear fruit.(AS)

The heart is devious above all else;
    it is perverse—
    who can understand it?(AT)
10 I the Lord test the mind
    and search the heart,
to give to all according to their ways,
    according to the fruit of their doings.(AU)

11 Like the partridge hatching what it did not lay,
    so are all who amass wealth unjustly;
in midlife it will leave them,
    and at their end they will prove to be fools.

12 O glorious throne, exalted from the beginning,
    shrine of our sanctuary!
13 O hope of Israel! O Lord!
    All who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you[g] shall be recorded in the underworld,[h]
    for they have forsaken the fountain of living water, the Lord.(AV)

Jeremiah Prays for Vindication

14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
    save me, and I shall be saved,
    for you are my praise.(AW)
15 See how they say to me,
    “Where is the word of the Lord?
    Let it come!”(AX)
16 But I have not run away from being a shepherd[i] in your service,
    nor have I desired the fatal day.
You know what came from my lips;
    it was before your face.
17 Do not become a terror to me;
    you are my refuge in the day of disaster;(AY)
18 Let my persecutors be shamed,
    but do not let me be shamed;
let them be dismayed,
    but do not let me be dismayed;
bring on them the day of disaster;
    destroy them with double destruction!(AZ)

Hallow the Sabbath Day

19 Thus said the Lord to me: Go and stand in the People’s Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, 20 and say to them: Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem who enter by these gates.(BA) 21 Thus says the Lord: For the sake of your lives, take care that you do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem.(BB) 22 And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors.(BC) 23 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear; they stiffened their necks and would not hear or receive instruction.(BD)

24 But if you listen to me, says the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it,(BE) 25 then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings[j] who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city shall be inhabited forever.(BF) 26 And people shall come from the towns of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord.(BG) 27 But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy and to carry in no burden through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates; it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.(BH)

Footnotes

  1. 15.11 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 15.11 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 16.7 Gk: Heb break for them
  4. 16.18 Gk: Heb And first
  5. 17.2 Or Asherahs
  6. 17.3 Cn: Heb spoil, your high places for sin
  7. 17.13 Heb me
  8. 17.13 Or in the earth
  9. 17.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  10. 17.25 Cn: Heb kings and officials

15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses(A) and Samuel(B) were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.(C) Send them away from my presence!(D) Let them go! And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;(E)
those for starvation, to starvation;(F)
those for captivity, to captivity.’(G)

“I will send four kinds of destroyers(H) against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword(I) to kill and the dogs(J) to drag away and the birds(K) and the wild animals to devour and destroy.(L) I will make them abhorrent(M) to all the kingdoms of the earth(N) because of what Manasseh(O) son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

“Who will have pity(P) on you, Jerusalem?
    Who will mourn for you?
    Who will stop to ask how you are?
You have rejected(Q) me,” declares the Lord.
    “You keep on backsliding.
So I will reach out(R) and destroy you;
    I am tired of holding back.(S)
I will winnow(T) them with a winnowing fork
    at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement(U) and destruction on my people,(V)
    for they have not changed their ways.(W)
I will make their widows(X) more numerous
    than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer(Y)
    against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
    anguish and terror.(Z)
The mother of seven will grow faint(AA)
    and breathe her last.(AB)
Her sun will set while it is still day;
    she will be disgraced(AC) and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword(AD)
    before their enemies,”(AE)
declares the Lord.

10 Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,(AF)
    a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!(AG)
I have neither lent(AH) nor borrowed,
    yet everyone curses(AI) me.

11 The Lord said,

“Surely I will deliver you(AJ) for a good purpose;
    surely I will make your enemies plead(AK) with you
    in times of disaster and times of distress.

12 “Can a man break iron—
    iron from the north(AL)—or bronze?

13 “Your wealth(AM) and your treasures
    I will give as plunder,(AN) without charge,(AO)
because of all your sins
    throughout your country.(AP)
14 I will enslave you to your enemies
    in[a] a land you do not know,(AQ)
for my anger will kindle a fire(AR)
    that will burn against you.”

15 Lord, you understand;
    remember me and care for me.
    Avenge me on my persecutors.(AS)
You are long-suffering(AT)—do not take me away;
    think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.(AU)
16 When your words came, I ate(AV) them;
    they were my joy and my heart’s delight,(AW)
for I bear your name,(AX)
    Lord God Almighty.
17 I never sat(AY) in the company of revelers,
    never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand(AZ) was on me
    and you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending
    and my wound grievous and incurable?(BA)
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
    like a spring that fails.(BB)

19 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“If you repent, I will restore you
    that you may serve(BC) me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
    you will be my spokesman.(BD)
Let this people turn to you,
    but you must not turn to them.
20 I will make you a wall(BE) to this people,
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
    but will not overcome(BF) you,
for I am with you
    to rescue and save you,”(BG)
declares the Lord.
21 “I will save(BH) you from the hands of the wicked(BI)
    and deliver(BJ) you from the grasp of the cruel.”(BK)

Day of Disaster

16 Then the word of the Lord came to me: “You must not marry(BL) and have sons or daughters in this place.” For this is what the Lord says about the sons and daughters born in this land and about the women who are their mothers and the men who are their fathers:(BM) “They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried(BN) but will be like dung lying on the ground.(BO) They will perish by sword and famine,(BP) and their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.”(BQ)

For this is what the Lord says: “Do not enter a house where there is a funeral meal; do not go to mourn or show sympathy, because I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity(BR) from this people,” declares the Lord. “Both high and low will die in this land.(BS) They will not be buried or mourned,(BT) and no one will cut(BU) themselves or shave(BV) their head for the dead. No one will offer food(BW) to comfort those who mourn(BX) for the dead—not even for a father or a mother—nor will anyone give them a drink to console(BY) them.

“And do not enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink.(BZ) For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Before your eyes and in your days I will bring an end to the sounds(CA) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride(CB) and bridegroom in this place.(CC)

10 “When you tell these people all this and they ask you, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?’(CD) 11 then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors forsook me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and followed other gods and served and worshiped(CE) them. They forsook me and did not keep my law.(CF) 12 But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors.(CG) See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts(CH) instead of obeying me. 13 So I will throw you out of this land(CI) into a land neither you nor your ancestors have known,(CJ) and there you will serve other gods(CK) day and night, for I will show you no favor.’(CL)

14 “However, the days are coming,”(CM) declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’(CN) 15 but it will be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north(CO) and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’(CP) For I will restore(CQ) them to the land I gave their ancestors.(CR)

16 “But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will catch them.(CS) After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt(CT) them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.(CU) 17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden(CV) from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.(CW) 18 I will repay(CX) them double(CY) for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land(CZ) with the lifeless forms of their vile images(DA) and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols.(DB)(DC)

19 Lord, my strength and my fortress,
    my refuge(DD) in time of distress,
to you the nations will come(DE)
    from the ends of the earth and say,
“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,(DF)
    worthless idols(DG) that did them no good.(DH)
20 Do people make their own gods?
    Yes, but they are not gods!”(DI)

21 “Therefore I will teach them—
    this time I will teach them
    my power and might.
Then they will know
    that my name(DJ) is the Lord.

17 “Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool,(DK)
    inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of their hearts(DL)
    and on the horns(DM) of their altars.
Even their children remember
    their altars and Asherah poles[b](DN)
beside the spreading trees
    and on the high hills.(DO)
My mountain in the land
    and your[c] wealth and all your treasures
I will give away as plunder,(DP)
    together with your high places,(DQ)
    because of sin throughout your country.(DR)
Through your own fault you will lose
    the inheritance(DS) I gave you.
I will enslave you to your enemies(DT)
    in a land(DU) you do not know,
for you have kindled my anger,
    and it will burn(DV) forever.”

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,(DW)
    who draws strength from mere flesh
    and whose heart turns away from the Lord.(DX)
That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
    they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places(DY) of the desert,
    in a salt(DZ) land where no one lives.

“But blessed(EA) is the one who trusts(EB) in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.(EC)
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought(ED)
    and never fails to bear fruit.”(EE)

The heart(EF) is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

10 “I the Lord search the heart(EG)
    and examine the mind,(EH)
to reward(EI) each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”(EJ)

11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay
    are those who gain riches by unjust means.
When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,
    and in the end they will prove to be fools.(EK)

12 A glorious throne,(EL) exalted from the beginning,
    is the place of our sanctuary.
13 Lord, you are the hope(EM) of Israel;
    all who forsake(EN) you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust(EO)
    because they have forsaken the Lord,
    the spring of living water.(EP)

14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;(EQ)
    save(ER) me and I will be saved,
    for you are the one I praise.(ES)
15 They keep saying to me,
    “Where is the word of the Lord?
    Let it now be fulfilled!”(ET)
16 I have not run away from being your shepherd;
    you know I have not desired the day of despair.
    What passes my lips(EU) is open before you.
17 Do not be a terror(EV) to me;
    you are my refuge(EW) in the day of disaster.(EX)
18 Let my persecutors be put to shame,
    but keep me from shame;
let them be terrified,
    but keep me from terror.
Bring on them the day of disaster;
    destroy them with double destruction.(EY)

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the Gate of the People,[d] through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem.(EZ) 20 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem(FA) who come through these gates.(FB) 21 This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath(FC) day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors.(FD) 23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention;(FE) they were stiff-necked(FF) and would not listen or respond to discipline.(FG) 24 But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy(FH) by not doing any work on it, 25 then kings who sit on David’s throne(FI) will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.(FJ) 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev,(FK) bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. 27 But if you do not obey(FL) me to keep the Sabbath(FM) day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire(FN) in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’”(FO)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 15:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 17:4); most Hebrew manuscripts I will cause your enemies to bring you / into
  2. Jeremiah 17:2 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
  3. Jeremiah 17:3 Or hills / and the mountains of the land. / Your
  4. Jeremiah 17:19 Or Army

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.(A) Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules.(B) It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.(C) 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.(D) 11 The saying is sure:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;(E)
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
he[a] cannot deny himself.(F)

A Worker Approved by God

14 Remind them of this, and warn them before the Lord[b] that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.(G) 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. 16 Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people[c] into more and more impiety,(H) 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,(I) 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying resurrection[d] has already occurred. They are upsetting the faith of some.(J) 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.”(K)

20 In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special[e] use, some for ordinary.[f](L) 21 All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned[g] will become special[h] utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work.(M) 22 Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.(N) 23 Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.(O) 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient,(P) 25 correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth(Q) 26 and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.[i]

Footnotes

  1. 2.13 Other ancient authorities read for he
  2. 2.14 Other ancient authorities read God
  3. 2.16 Gk for they will advance
  4. 2.18 Other ancient authorities read the resurrection
  5. 2.20 Gk honorable
  6. 2.20 Gk dishonorable
  7. 2.21 Gk of these things
  8. 2.21 Gk honorable
  9. 2.26 Or by him, to do his (that is, God’s) will

The Appeal Renewed

You then, my son,(A) be strong(B) in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say(C) in the presence of many witnesses(D) entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering,(E) like a good soldier(F) of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown(G) except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.(H) Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead,(I) descended from David.(J) This is my gospel,(K) for which I am suffering(L) even to the point of being chained(M) like a criminal. But God’s word(N) is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything(O) for the sake of the elect,(P) that they too may obtain the salvation(Q) that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.(R)

11 Here is a trustworthy saying:(S)

If we died with him,
    we will also live with him;(T)
12 if we endure,
    we will also reign with him.(U)
If we disown him,
    he will also disown us;(V)
13 if we are faithless,
    he remains faithful,(W)
    for he cannot disown himself.

Dealing With False Teachers

14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words;(X) it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.(Y) 16 Avoid godless chatter,(Z) because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus(AA) and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place,(AB) and they destroy the faith of some.(AC) 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm,(AD) sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,”(AE) and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord(AF) must turn away from wickedness.”

20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.(AG) 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.(AH)

22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love(AI) and peace, along with those who call on the Lord(AJ) out of a pure heart.(AK) 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.(AL) 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.(AM) 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,(AN) 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,(AO) who has taken them captive to do his will.