1 If you are a slave, you should respect and honor your owner. This will keep people from saying bad things about God and about our teaching. 2 If any of you slaves have owners who are followers, you should show them respect. After all, they are also followers of Christ, and he loves them. So you should serve and help them the best you can.
False Teaching and True Wealth
These are the things you must teach and tell the people to do. 3 Anyone who teaches something different disagrees with the correct and godly teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 Those people who disagree are proud of themselves, but they don't really know a thing. Their minds are sick, and they like to argue over words. They cause jealousy, disagreements, unkind words, evil suspicions, 5 and nasty quarrels. They have wicked minds and have missed out on the truth.
These people think religion is supposed to make you rich. 6 And religion does make your life rich, by making you content with what you have. 7 We didn't bring anything into this world, and we won't take anything with us when we leave. 8 So we should be satisfied just to have food and clothes. 9 People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. 10 The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.
Fighting a Good Fight for the Faith
11 Timothy, you belong to God, so keep away from all these evil things. Try your best to please God and to be like him. Be faithful, loving, dependable, and gentle. 12 Fight a good fight for the faith and claim eternal life. God offered it to you when you clearly told about your faith, while so many people listened. 13 Now I ask you to make a promise. Make it in the presence of God, who gives life to all, and in the presence of Christ Jesus, who openly told Pontius Pilate about his faith. 14 Promise to obey completely and fully all that you have been told until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
15 The glorious God
is the only Ruler,
the King of kings
and Lord of lords.
At the time that God
has already decided,
he will send Jesus Christ
back again.
16 Only God lives forever!
And he lives in light
that no one can come near.
No human has ever seen God
or ever can see him.
God will be honored,
and his power
will last forever. Amen.
17 Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life. 18 Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have. 19 This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so they will know what true life is like.
20 Timothy, guard what God has placed in your care! Don't pay any attention to godless and stupid talk that sounds smart but really isn't. 21 Some people have even lost their faith by believing this talk.
I pray that the Lord will be kind to all of you!
1 Visiem, kas ir vergi apakš jūga, būs turēt savus kungus par visa goda cienīgiem, lai Dieva Vārds un mācība netiktu zaimoti. 2 Bet tiem, kam ir ticīgi kungi, nebūs nicināt viņus tāpēc, ka tie ir brāļi, bet jo vairāk viņiem kalpot; jo tie, kuru labā viņi darbojas, ir ticīgi un mīlami. To tu māci un uz to skubini. 3 Ja kāds māca ko citu un nepiegriežas mūsu Kunga Jēzus Kristus veselīgajiem vārdiem un dievbijības mācībai, 4 tas ir uzpūties un nezina nenieka, bet slimo ar prātošanas un ķildošanās sērgu, no kā ceļas skaudība, ķilda, zaimi, ļaunas aizdomas, 5 prātā sajukušu un patiesību zaudējušu cilvēku naidošanās - tādu, kas ar dievbijību cer iegūt peļņu. 6 Patiesi, lielu ieguvumu dod dievbijība ar pieticību, 7 jo mēs nenieka neesam pasaulē ienesuši, tāpēc arī nenieka nevaram iznest; 8 bet, kad mums ir barība un apģērbs, tad ar to mēs pietiksim. 9 Bet, kas grib tapt bagāts, krīt kārdinājumā un valgā un daudzās bezprātīgās un kaitīgās iegribās, kas gāž cilvēkus postā un pazušanā. 10 Jo visa ļaunuma sakne ir mantas kārība; dažs labs, tiekdamies pēc tās, ir nomaldījies no ticības un pats sev nodarījis daudz sāpju. 11 Bet tu, Dieva cilvēks, bēdz no šīm lietām: dzenies pēc taisnības, dievbijības, ticības, mīlestības, pacietības, lēnprātības, 12 cīnies labo ticības cīņu, satver mūžīgo dzīvību, uz ko tu esi aicināts, pats apliecinādams labo liecību daudzu liecinieku priekšā. 13 Es piekodinu tev Dieva priekšā, kas visu dara dzīvu, un Kristus Jēzus priekšā, kas apliecinājis labo liecību Poncija Pilāta priekšā, 14 turi šo pavēli neaptraipītu un nenopeltu, līdz mūsu Kungs Jēzus Kristus parādīsies Savā godībā, 15 ko savā laikā darīs redzami svētais un vienīgais Valdnieks, ķēniņu Ķēniņš un kungu Kungs, 16 kam vienīgam ir nemirstība, kas dzīvo nepieejamā gaismā, kuru neviens cilvēks nav redzējis, nedz arī var redzēt, Viņam lai ir gods un mūžīga vara! Āmen! 17 Tiem, kas ir bagāti tagadējā pasaules laikmetā, piekodini, lai viņi nebūtu augstprātīgi un neliktu cerību uz nedrošo bagātību, bet uz Dievu, kas mums dod visu bagātīgi baudīt; 18 lai viņi darītu labu, būtu bagāti labos darbos, devīgi, nesavtīgi, 19 uzkrādami sev labu mantas pamatu nākamai dzīvei, ka iegūtu īsto dzīvību. 20 Tu, Timotej, paglabā uzticēto mantu, novērsdamies no nesvētām valodām un pretrunām, kas ceļas no nepareizas tā dēvētās atziņas; 21 daži, turēdamies pie tās, ir nomaldījušies no ticības. Žēlastība lai ir ar jums.
