1I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus, just as God our Savior commanded. Christ Jesus also commanded it. We have put our hope in him.
2Timothy, I am sending you this letter. You are my true son in the faith.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy and peace.
Paul Warns Timothy to Oppose False Teachers
3Timothy, stay there in Ephesus. That is what I told you to do when I went into Macedonia. I want you to command certain people not to teach things that aren’t true. 4And command them not to spend their time on stories that are made up. They must not waste time on family histories that never end. These things only lead to fights about ideas. They don’t help God’s work move forward. His work is done by faith. 5Love is the purpose of my command. Love comes from a pure heart. It comes from a good sense of what is right and wrong. It comes from faith that is honest and true. 6Some have turned from these teachings. They would rather talk about things that have no meaning. 7They want to be teachers of the law. And they are very sure about that law. But they don’t know what they are talking about.
8We know that the law is good if it is used properly. 9We also know that the law isn’t made for godly people. It is made for those who break the law. It is for those who refuse to obey. It is for ungodly and sinful people. It is for those who aren’t holy and who don’t believe. It is for those who kill their fathers or mothers. It is for murderers. 10It is for those who commit sexual sins. It is for those who commit homosexual acts. It is for people who buy and sell slaves. It is for liars. It is for people who tell lies in court. It is for those who are a witness to things that aren’t true. And it is for anything else that is the opposite of true teaching. 11True teaching agrees with the good news about the glory of the blessed God. He trusted me with that good news.
The Lord Pours Out His Grace on Paul
12I am thankful to Christ Jesus our Lord. He has given me strength. I thank him that he considered me faithful. I thank him for appointing me to serve him. 13I used to speak evil things against Jesus. I tried to hurt his followers. I really pushed them around. But God showed me mercy anyway. I did those things without knowing any better. I wasn’t a believer. 14Our Lord poured out more and more of his grace on me. Along with it came faith and love from Christ Jesus.
15Here is a saying that you can trust. It should be accepted completely. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the worst sinner of all. 16But for that very reason, God showed me mercy. And I am the worst of sinners. He showed me mercy so that Christ Jesus could show that he is very patient. I was an example for those who would come to believe in him. Then they would receive eternal life. 17The eternal King will never die. He can’t be seen. He is the only God. Give him honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul Commands Timothy
18My son Timothy, I am giving you this command. It is in keeping with the prophecies once made about you. By remembering them, you can fight the battle well. 19Then you will hold on to faith. You will hold on to a good sense of what is right and wrong. Some have not accepted this knowledge of right and wrong. So they have destroyed their faith. They are like a ship that has sunk. 20Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them. I have handed them over to Satan. That will teach them not to speak evil things against God.
Nkyea
1Nwoma yi firi Kristo Yesu somafoɔ Paulo nkyɛn. Onyankopɔn a ɔyɛ yɛn Gyefoɔ ne Kristo Yesu a ɔma yɛn anidasoɔ na ɔfrɛɛ me.
2Meretwerɛ akɔma Timoteo a ɔyɛ me ba kann wɔ gyidie no mu:
Agya Onyankopɔn ne Kristo Yesu a ɔyɛ yɛn Awurade no adom, mmɔborɔhunu ne asomdwoeɛ nka mo.
Mompo Atorɔ Akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ
3Mepɛ sɛ motena Efeso sɛdeɛ merekɔ Makedonia no meka kyerɛɛ mo no. Nnipa bi wɔ hɔ a wɔma nkyerɛkyerɛ bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ mohyɛ wɔn na wɔgyae. 4Monka nkyerɛ wɔn na wɔnnyae atorɔsɛm ne wɔn nananom din bebrebe a wɔbobɔ no, ɛfiri sɛ, saa nneyɛeɛ no de akyinnyeɛ ba. Ɛmmoa Onyankopɔn nhyehyɛeɛ a wɔnam gyidie nko so na wɔhunu no. 5Saa ɔhyɛ yi botaeɛ ara ne sɛ, ɛbɛkanyane ɔdɔ a ɛfiri akoma pa, adwenem fann ne gyidie pa mu. 6Nnipa bi atwe wɔn ho afiri ɛkwan pa no so de wɔn ho ama akyinnyeɛ hunu. 7Wɔpɛ sɛ wɔyɛ Onyankopɔn mmara no akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ nanso wɔn ara wɔn nsɛm a wɔka no wɔnte aseɛ. Saa ara nso na wɔnni gyidie wɔ nsɛm a wɔka no mu.
8Yɛnim sɛ, sɛ wɔnam mmara ɛkwan so de Mmara no di dwuma a, ɛyɛ. 9Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkae hunu sɛ, wɔanyɛ mmara no amma ateneneefoɔ na mmom, wɔyɛ maa mmaratofoɔ, nnebɔneyɛfoɔ, wɔn a wɔnsuro Onyame ne abɔnefoɔ, wɔn a wɔnyɛ kronkron anaa wɔn ho nteɛ, wɔn a wɔkum wɔn agyanom ne wɔn maamenom, awudifoɔ, 10afideyɛfoɔ, adwamammɔfoɔ, nnipawiafoɔ, atorofoɔ a wɔka nkontomposɛm anaa wɔyɛ biribi a ɛne nokorɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ no bɔ abira no. 11Saa nokorɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ no wɔ Asɛmpa a wɔde ama me sɛ menka ho asɛm nkyerɛ no mu. Ɛyɛ Asɛmpa a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn a ɔyɛ onimuonyamfoɔ na wɔahyira no no nkyɛn.
12Meda yɛn Awurade Yesu Kristo a wama me ahoɔden ma medi me dwuma no ase. Meda no ase sɛ wadwene me ho sɛ mefata na wayi me sɛ mensom no. 13Nanso, mmerɛ bi a atwam no, na mekasa tia no, taa no, kaa nsɛm a ɛmfata faa ne ho. Onyankopɔn ahunu me mmɔbɔ na ɛsiane sɛ na mennye nni enti, na mennim deɛ mereyɛ. 14Yɛn Awurade hwiee nʼadom a ɛdɔɔso no guu me so maa me gyidie ne ɔdɔ a ɛsiane Kristo Yesu enti, abɛyɛ yɛn dea no.
15Yei yɛ nokwasɛm a ɛsɛ sɛ yɛgye tom na yɛgye di koraa sɛ: Kristo Yesu baa ewiase bɛgyee nnebɔneyɛfoɔ nkwa. Na meyɛ ɔdebɔneyɛfoɔ a ɔdi ɛkan koraa. 16Nanso, ɛsiane saa enti, wahunu me mmɔbɔ sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a me a meyɛ ɔdebɔneyɛfoɔ a ɔdi ɛkan no, Kristo Yesu nam me so bɛda ne boasetɔ a ɛnni awieeɛ no adi akyerɛ wɔn a wɔbɛgye no adi no na wɔanya nkwa a ɛnni awieeɛ. 17Animuonyam ne anidie nka Onyankopɔn daa daa. Ɔno ne mmerɛsantenhene. Ɔno na wɔnhunu no na ɔnwu da nso. Ɔno nko ara ne Onyankopɔn a nimdeɛ ahyɛ no ma. Amen.
18Afei, me ba Timoteo, mede saa dwumadie a wɔhyɛɛ ho nkɔm firi tete no hyɛ wo nsa. Wogu so reko ɔko pa no no, ma saa nsɛm no nyɛ wʼakodeɛ, 19na sɔ wo gyidie mu denden na ma wʼadwene mu nyɛ fann. Nnipa bi ntie wɔn atiboa nam saayɛ so asɛe wɔn gyidie. 20Saa nnipa no bi ne Himeneo ne Aleksandro a mayi wɔn ama Ɔbonsam na wɔatwe wɔn aso sɛdeɛ wɔrenka abususɛm ntia Onyankopɔn bio.
