1我保羅奉上帝的旨意，按照在基督耶穌裡所應許的生命作基督耶穌的使徒， 2寫信給我親愛的兒子提摩太。
願父上帝和我們的主基督耶穌的恩典、憐憫和平安臨到你！
勉勵忠心事奉
3我日夜不停地為你禱告，對我效法祖先用清潔的良心事奉的上帝充滿了感恩。 4每逢想起你流淚的情形，我就渴望見你，好使我的心充滿喜樂。 5我記得你那真誠無偽的信心。你外祖母羅以和你母親友妮基首先有了這信心，我深信你也有。 6因此我提醒你，要把上帝在我把手按在你身上時賜給你的恩賜充分發揮出來。 7因為上帝賜給我們的不是懦弱的心，而是剛強、仁愛、自律的心。
8所以，你不要羞於為我們的主做見證，也不要以我這為主被囚的人為恥，要靠著上帝的能力和我一同為福音受苦。 9上帝拯救了我們，並呼召我們過聖潔的生活，不是因為我們的行為，而是出於祂的旨意和恩典。早在萬古以前，祂就在基督耶穌裡把這恩典賜給我們了， 10如今藉著我們救主基督耶穌的降世顯明了出來。基督已經消滅了死亡，藉著福音將不朽的生命彰顯了出來。
11我為了這福音受委派做傳道人、使徒和教師。 12我因此而遭受這些苦難，但我不以為恥，因為我知道我所信的是誰，也深信祂能保守祂所託付我的1·12 「祂所託付我的」又可翻譯為「我所信託祂的」。，一直到那日1·12 「那日」指保羅站在基督面前交帳的日子。。 13你要以在基督耶穌裡的信心和愛心，把從我這裡聽到的正確教導當作典範遵守， 14要靠著住在我們裡面的聖靈牢牢守住交託給你的美善之道。
15你知道幾乎所有亞細亞的人都離棄了我，其中包括腓吉路和黑摩其尼。 16願主憐憫阿尼色弗一家人，他常常鼓勵我，不以我被囚禁為恥。 17他在羅馬的時候千方百計尋訪我的下落，直到找著我為止。 18你很清楚，他從前在以弗所怎樣在各個方面服侍我。願主再來時格外地憐憫他。
1I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. He sent me to tell about the promise of life found in Christ Jesus.
2Timothy, I am sending you this letter. You are my dear son.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy and peace.
Paul Gives Thanks
3I thank God, whom I serve as did our people of long ago. I serve God, knowing that what I have done is right. Night and day I thank God for you. Night and day I always remember you in my prayers. 4I remember your tears. I long to see you so that I can be filled with joy. 5I remember your honest and true faith. It was alive first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. And I am certain that it is now alive in you also.
Paul Encourages Timothy to Be Faithful
6This is why I remind you to help God’s gift grow, just as a small spark grows into a fire. God put his gift in you when I placed my hands on you. 7God gave us his Spirit. And the Spirit doesn’t make us weak and fearful. Instead, the Spirit gives us power and love. He helps us control ourselves. 8So don’t be ashamed of the message about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, his prisoner. Instead, join with me as I suffer for the good news. God’s power will help us do that. 9God has saved us. He has chosen us to live a holy life. It wasn’t because of anything we have done. It was because of his own purpose and grace. Through Christ Jesus, God gave us this grace even before time began. 10It has now been made known through the coming of our Savior, Christ Jesus. He has broken the power of death. Because of the good news, he has brought life out into the light. That life never dies. 11I was appointed to announce the good news. I was appointed to be an apostle and a teacher. 12That’s why I’m suffering the way I am. But this gives me no reason to be ashamed. That’s because I know who I have believed in. I am sure he is able to take care of what I have given him. I can trust him with it until the day he returns as judge.
13Follow what you heard from me as the pattern of true teaching. Follow it with faith and love because you belong to Christ Jesus. 14Guard the truth of the good news that you were trusted with. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Examples of Faithful and Unfaithful People
15You know that all the believers in Asia Minor have deserted me. They include Phygelus and Hermogenes.
16May the Lord show mercy to all who live in the house of Onesiphorus. He often encouraged me. He was not ashamed that I was being held by chains. 17In fact, it was just the opposite. When he was in Rome, he looked everywhere for me. At last he found me. 18May Onesiphorus find mercy from the Lord on the day Jesus returns as judge! You know very well how many ways Onesiphorus helped me in Ephesus.
