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Jeremiah 9-11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jeremiah 9-11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
9 [a]O that my head were a spring of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears,
so that I might weep day and night
for the slain of the daughter of my people!(A)
2 [b]O that I had in the desert
a traveler’s lodging place,
that I might leave my people
and go away from them!
For they are all adulterers,
a band of traitors.(B)
3 They bend their tongues like bows;
they have grown strong in the land for falsehood and not for truth,
for they proceed from evil to evil,
and they do not know me, says the Lord.(C)
4 Beware of your neighbors,
and put no trust in any of your kin,
for all your kin are supplanters,
and every neighbor goes around like a slanderer.(D)
5 They all deceive their neighbors,
and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongues to speak lies;
they commit iniquity and are too weary to repent.[c](E)
6 Oppression upon oppression, deceit[d] upon deceit!
They refuse to know me, says the Lord.(F)
7 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:
I will now refine and test them,
for what else can I do with the daughter of my people?(G)
8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
it speaks deceit through the mouth.
They all speak friendly words to their neighbors
but inwardly are planning to lay an ambush.(H)
9 Shall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord,
and shall I not bring retribution
on a nation such as this?(I)
10 Take up[e] weeping and wailing for the mountains
and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness,
because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,
and the lowing of cattle is not heard;
both the birds of the air and the animals
have fled and are gone.(J)
11 I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
a lair of jackals,
and I will make the towns of Judah a desolation,
without inhabitant.(K)
12 Who is wise enough to understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, so that they may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?(L) 13 And the Lord says: Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accordance with it(M) 14 but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.(N) 15 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am feeding this people with wormwood and giving them poisonous water to drink.(O) 16 I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them.(P)
The People Mourn in Judgment
17 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Consider and call for the mourning women to come;
send for the skilled women to come;(Q)
18 let them quickly raise a dirge over us,
so that our eyes may run down with tears
and our eyelids flow with water.(R)
19 For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
“How we are ruined!
We are utterly shamed
because we have left the land,
because they have cast down our dwellings.”(S)
20 Hear, O women, the word of the Lord,
and let your ears receive the word of his mouth;
teach to your daughters a dirge
and each to her neighbor a lament.(T)
21 “Death has come up into our windows;
it has entered our palaces
to cut off the children from the streets
and the young men from the squares.”(U)
22 Speak! Thus says the Lord:
“Human corpses shall fall
like dung upon the open field,
like sheaves behind the reaper,
and no one shall gather them.”(V)
23 Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom; do not let the mighty boast in their might; do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth;(W) 24 but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.(X)
25 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will attend to all those who are circumcised only in the foreskin:(Y) 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab, and all those with shaved temples who live in the desert. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.(Z)
Idolatry Has Brought Ruin on Israel
10 Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the Lord:
Do not learn the way of the nations
or be dismayed at the signs of the heavens,
for the nations are dismayed at them.(AA)
3 For the customs of the peoples are false:
a tree from the forest is cut down
and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan;(AB)
4 they deck it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammers and nails
so that it cannot move.(AC)
5 Their idols[f] are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,
and they cannot speak;
they have to be carried,
for they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil,
nor is it in them to do good.(AD)
6 There is none like you, O Lord;
you are great, and your name is great in might.(AE)
7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For that is your due;
among all the wise ones of the nations
and in all their kingdoms
there is no one like you.(AF)
8 They are both stupid and foolish;
the instruction given by idols
is no better than wood
9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish
and gold from Uphaz.
They are the work of the artisan and of the hands of the goldsmith;
their clothing is blue and purple;
they are all the product of skilled workers.(AH)
10 But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.[h](AI)
11 Thus shall you say to them: The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.[i](AJ)
12 It is he who made the earth by his power,
who established the world by his wisdom
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.(AK)
13 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.(AL)
14 Everyone is stupid and without knowledge;
goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols,
for their images are false,
and there is no breath in them.(AM)
15 They are worthless, a work of delusion;
at the time of their punishment they shall perish.
16 The portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the one who formed all things,
and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;
the Lord of hosts is his name.(AN)
The Coming Exile
17 Gather up your bundle from the ground,
O you who live under siege!
18 For thus says the Lord:
I am going to sling out the inhabitants of the land
at this time,
and I will bring distress on them,
so that they shall feel it.
19 Woe is me because of my hurt!
My wound is severe.
But I said, “Truly this is my punishment,
and I must bear it.”(AO)
20 My tent is destroyed,
and all my cords are broken;
my children have gone from me,
and they are no more;
there is no one to spread my tent again
and to set up my curtains.(AP)
21 For the shepherds are stupid
and do not inquire of the Lord;
therefore they have not prospered,
and all their flock is scattered.(AQ)
22 Hear, a noise! Listen, it is coming—
a great commotion from the land of the north
to make the cities of Judah a desolation,
a lair of jackals.(AR)
23 I know, O Lord, that the way of humans is not in their control,
that mortals as they walk cannot direct their steps.(AS)
24 Correct me, O Lord, but in just measure;
not in your anger, or you will bring me to nothing.(AT)
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you
and on the peoples that do not call on your name,
for they have devoured Jacob;
they have devoured him and consumed him
and have laid waste his habitation.(AU)
Israel and Judah Have Broken the Covenant
11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 3 You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed be anyone who does not heed the words of this covenant,(AV) 4 which I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron smelter, saying, ‘Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God,(AW) 5 that I may perform the oath that I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.’ ” Then I answered, “So be it, Lord.”(AX)
6 And the Lord said to me: Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, “Obey my voice.”(AY) 8 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of an evil will. So I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.(AZ)
9 And the Lord said to me: Conspiracy exists among the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.(BA) 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors of old, who refused to heed my words; they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant that I made with their ancestors.(BB) 11 Therefore, thus says the Lord, assuredly I am going to bring disaster upon them that they cannot escape; though they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.(BC) 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they make offerings, but they will never save them in the time of their trouble.(BD) 13 For your gods have become as many as your towns, O Judah, and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars to shame you have set up, altars to make offerings to Baal.
14 As for you, do not pray for this people or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble.(BE) 15 What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done vile deeds? Can vows[j] and sacrificial flesh avert your doom? Can you then exult?(BF) 16 The Lord once called you, “A green olive tree, fair with goodly fruit,” but with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed.(BG) 17 The Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal.(BH)
Jeremiah’s Life Threatened
18 It was the Lord who made it known to me, and I knew;
then you showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle lamb
led to the slaughter.
And I did not know it was against me
that they devised schemes, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will no longer be remembered!”(BI)
20 But you, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously,
who try the heart and the mind,
let me see your retribution upon them,
for to you I have committed my cause.(BJ)
21 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the people of Anathoth who seek your life and say, “You shall not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you will die by our hand”(BK)— 22 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: I am going to punish them; the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine, 23 and not even a remnant shall be left of them. For I will bring disaster upon the people of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.(BL)
Footnotes
- 9.1 8.23 in Heb
- 9.2 9.1 in Heb
- 9.5 Cn Compare Gk: Heb they weary themselves with iniquity.
Your dwelling - 9.6 Cn Compare Gk: Heb Your dwelling in the midst of deceit
- 9.10 Gk Syr: Heb I will take up
- 10.5 Heb They
- 10.8 Q ms Gk lack 10.6–8
- 10.10 Q ms Gk lack 10.10
- 10.11 This verse is in Aramaic
- 11.15 Gk: Heb Can many
Jeremiah 9-11
New International Version
Jeremiah 9-11
New International Version
9 [a]1 Oh, that my head were a spring of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears!(A)
I would weep(B) day and night
for the slain of my people.(C)
2 Oh, that I had in the desert(D)
a lodging place for travelers,
so that I might leave my people
and go away from them;
for they are all adulterers,(E)
a crowd of unfaithful(F) people.
3 “They make ready their tongue
like a bow, to shoot lies;(G)
it is not by truth
that they triumph[b] in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
they do not acknowledge(H) me,”
declares the Lord.
4 “Beware of your friends;(I)
do not trust anyone in your clan.(J)
For every one of them is a deceiver,[c](K)
and every friend a slanderer.(L)
5 Friend deceives friend,(M)
and no one speaks the truth.(N)
They have taught their tongues to lie;(O)
they weary themselves with sinning.
6 You[d] live in the midst of deception;(P)
in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”
declares the Lord.
7 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says:
“See, I will refine(Q) and test(R) them,
for what else can I do
because of the sin of my people?
8 Their tongue(S) is a deadly arrow;
it speaks deceitfully.
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,(T)
but in their hearts they set traps(U) for them.(V)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(W) myself
on such a nation as this?”
10 I will weep and wail for the mountains
and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands.(X)
They are desolate and untraveled,
and the lowing of cattle is not heard.
The birds(Y) have all fled
and the animals are gone.
11 “I will make Jerusalem a heap(Z) of ruins,
a haunt of jackals;(AA)
and I will lay waste the towns of Judah(AB)
so no one can live there.”(AC)
12 Who is wise(AD) enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?
13 The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.(AE) 14 Instead, they have followed(AF) the stubbornness of their hearts;(AG) they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” 15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food(AH) and drink poisoned water.(AI) 16 I will scatter them among nations(AJ) that neither they nor their ancestors have known,(AK) and I will pursue them with the sword(AL) until I have made an end of them.”(AM)
17 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Consider now! Call for the wailing women(AN) to come;
send for the most skillful of them.
18 Let them come quickly
and wail over us
till our eyes overflow with tears
and water streams from our eyelids.(AO)
19 The sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
‘How ruined(AP) we are!
How great is our shame!
We must leave our land
because our houses are in ruins.’”
20 Now, you women, hear the word of the Lord;
open your ears to the words of his mouth.(AQ)
Teach your daughters how to wail;
teach one another a lament.(AR)
21 Death has climbed in through our windows(AS)
and has entered our fortresses;
it has removed the children from the streets
and the young men(AT) from the public squares.
22 Say, “This is what the Lord declares:
“‘Dead bodies will lie
like dung(AU) on the open field,
like cut grain behind the reaper,
with no one to gather them.’”
23 This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom(AV)
or the strong boast of their strength(AW)
or the rich boast of their riches,(AX)
24 but let the one who boasts boast(AY) about this:
that they have the understanding to know(AZ) me,
that I am the Lord,(BA) who exercises kindness,(BB)
justice and righteousness(BC) on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.
25 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh(BD)— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the wilderness in distant places.[e](BE) For all these nations are really uncircumcised,(BF) and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.(BG)”
God and Idols(BH)
10 Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. 2 This is what the Lord says:
“Do not learn the ways of the nations(BI)
or be terrified by signs(BJ) in the heavens,
though the nations are terrified by them.
3 For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman(BK) shapes it with his chisel.(BL)
4 They adorn it with silver(BM) and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter.(BN)
5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
their idols cannot speak;(BO)
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.(BP)
Do not fear them;
they can do no harm(BQ)
nor can they do any good.”(BR)
6 No one is like you,(BS) Lord;
you are great,(BT)
and your name is mighty in power.
7 Who should not fear(BU) you,
King of the nations?(BV)
This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations
and in all their kingdoms,
there is no one like you.
8 They are all senseless(BW) and foolish;(BX)
they are taught by worthless wooden idols.(BY)
9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish(BZ)
and gold from Uphaz.
What the craftsman and goldsmith have made(CA)
is then dressed in blue and purple—
all made by skilled workers.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God,(CB) the eternal King.(CC)
When he is angry,(CD) the earth trembles;(CE)
the nations cannot endure his wrath.(CF)
11 “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish(CG) from the earth and from under the heavens.’”[f]
12 But God made(CH) the earth(CI) by his power;
he founded the world by his wisdom(CJ)
and stretched out the heavens(CK) by his understanding.
13 When he thunders,(CL) the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning(CM) with the rain(CN)
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.(CO)
14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is shamed(CP) by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;(CQ)
they have no breath in them.
15 They are worthless,(CR) the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.
16 He who is the Portion(CS) of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the Maker of all things,(CT)
including Israel, the people of his inheritance(CU)—
the Lord Almighty is his name.(CV)
Coming Destruction
17 Gather up your belongings(CW) to leave the land,
you who live under siege.
18 For this is what the Lord says:
“At this time I will hurl(CX) out
those who live in this land;
I will bring distress(CY) on them
so that they may be captured.”
19 Woe to me because of my injury!
My wound(CZ) is incurable!
Yet I said to myself,
“This is my sickness, and I must endure(DA) it.”
20 My tent(DB) is destroyed;
all its ropes are snapped.
My children are gone from me and are no more;(DC)
no one is left now to pitch my tent
or to set up my shelter.
21 The shepherds(DD) are senseless(DE)
and do not inquire of the Lord;(DF)
so they do not prosper(DG)
and all their flock is scattered.(DH)
22 Listen! The report is coming—
a great commotion from the land of the north!(DI)
It will make the towns of Judah desolate,(DJ)
a haunt of jackals.(DK)
Jeremiah’s Prayer
23 Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own;
it is not for them to direct their steps.(DL)
24 Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure—
not in your anger,(DM)
or you will reduce me to nothing.(DN)
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations(DO)
that do not acknowledge you,
on the peoples who do not call on your name.(DP)
For they have devoured(DQ) Jacob;
they have devoured him completely
and destroyed his homeland.(DR)
The Covenant Is Broken
11 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the terms of this covenant(DS) and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed(DT) is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4 the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt,(DU) out of the iron-smelting furnace.(DV)’ I said, ‘Obey(DW) me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people,(DX) and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore(DY) to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’(DZ)—the land you possess today.”
I answered, “Amen,(EA) Lord.”
6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim(EB) all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow(EC) them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again,(ED) saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention;(EE) instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(EF) So I brought on them all the curses(EG) of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.(EH)’”
9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy(EI) among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors,(EJ) who refused to listen to my words.(EK) They have followed other gods(EL) to serve them.(EM) Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant(EN) I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster(EO) they cannot escape.(EP) Although they cry(EQ) out to me, I will not listen(ER) to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense,(ES) but they will not help them at all when disaster(ET) strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods(EU) as you have towns;(EV) and the altars you have set up to burn incense(EW) to that shameful(EX) god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’
14 “Do not pray(EY) for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen(EZ) when they call to me in the time of their distress.
15 “What is my beloved doing in my temple
as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes?
Can consecrated meat(FA) avert your punishment?(FB)
When you engage in your wickedness,
then you rejoice.[g]”
16 The Lord called you a thriving olive tree(FC)
with fruit beautiful in form.
But with the roar of a mighty storm
he will set it on fire,(FD)
and its branches will be broken.(FE)
17 The Lord Almighty, who planted(FF) you, has decreed disaster(FG) for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused(FH) my anger by burning incense to Baal.(FI)
Plot Against Jeremiah
18 Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter;(FJ) I did not realize that they had plotted(FK) against me, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,(FL)
that his name be remembered(FM) no more.”
20 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously(FN)
and test the heart(FO) and mind,(FP)
let me see your vengeance(FQ) on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth(FR) who are threatening to kill you,(FS) saying, “Do not prophesy(FT) in the name of the Lord or you will die(FU) by our hands”— 22 therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men(FV) will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23 Not even a remnant(FW) will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.(FX)”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-26 is numbered 9:1-25.
- Jeremiah 9:3 Or lies; / they are not valiant for truth
- Jeremiah 9:4 Or a deceiving Jacob
- Jeremiah 9:6 That is, Jeremiah (the Hebrew is singular)
- Jeremiah 9:26 Or wilderness and who clip the hair by their foreheads
- Jeremiah 10:11 The text of this verse is in Aramaic.
- Jeremiah 11:15 Or Could consecrated meat avert your punishment? / Then you would rejoice
1 Timothy 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
1 Timothy 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
6 Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed.(A) 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them on the ground that they are brothers and sisters; rather, they must serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved.[a]
False Teaching and True Riches
Teach and urge these duties.(B) 3 Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness(C) 4 is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions,(D) 5 and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.[b](E) 6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment,(F) 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that[c] we can take nothing out of it, 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.(G) 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
The Good Fight of Faith
11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made[d] the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.(H) 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you(I) 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,(J) 15 which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.(K) 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.(L)
17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but rather on God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.(M) 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,(N) 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
Personal Instructions and Benediction
20 Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge;(O) 21 by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith.
Grace be with you.[e]
Footnotes
- 6.2 Or since they are believers and beloved, who devote themselves to good deeds
- 6.5 Other ancient authorities add Withdraw yourself from such people
- 6.7 Other ancient authorities read world; it is certain that
- 6.12 Gk confessed
- 6.21 The Greek word for you here is plural; in other ancient authorities it is singular. Other ancient authorities add Amen
1 Timothy 6
New International Version
1 Timothy 6
New International Version
6 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect,(A) so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered.(B) 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers.(C) Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare[a] of their slaves.
False Teachers and the Love of Money
These are the things you are to teach and insist on.(D) 3 If anyone teaches otherwise(E) and does not agree to the sound instruction(F) of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited(G) and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words(H) that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth(I) and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6 But godliness with contentment(J) is great gain.(K) 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.(L) 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.(M) 9 Those who want to get rich(N) fall into temptation and a trap(O) and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money(P) is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith(Q) and pierced themselves with many griefs.(R)
Final Charge to Timothy
11 But you, man of God,(S) flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness,(T) faith, love,(U) endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight(V) of the faith. Take hold of(W) the eternal life(X) to which you were called when you made your good confession(Y) in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate(Z) made the good confession,(AA) I charge you(AB) 14 to keep this command without spot or blame(AC) until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,(AD) 15 which God will bring about in his own time(AE)—God, the blessed(AF) and only Ruler,(AG) the King of kings and Lord of lords,(AH) 16 who alone is immortal(AI) and who lives in unapproachable light,(AJ) whom no one has seen or can see.(AK) To him be honor and might forever. Amen.(AL)
17 Command those who are rich(AM) in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,(AN) which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,(AO) who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.(AP) 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,(AQ) and to be generous and willing to share.(AR) 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves(AS) as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of(AT) the life that is truly life.
20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted(AU) to your care. Turn away from godless chatter(AV) and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.(AW)
Grace be with you all.(AX)
Footnotes
- 1 Timothy 6:2 Or and benefit from the service
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