1All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare6:2 Or and benefit from the service of their slaves.
False teachers and the love of money
These are the things you are to teach and insist on. 3If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Final charge to Timothy
11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which God will bring about in his own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no-one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might for ever. Amen.
17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
20Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
Grace be with you all.
Adwuma Ne Sika
1Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn a wɔyɛ asomfoɔ no nyinaa de anidie ma wɔn wuranom sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wɔn mu bi nkasa ntia Onyankopɔn ne yɛn nkyerɛkyerɛ. 2Ɛnsɛ sɛ asomfoɔ bu wɔn wuranom a wɔyɛ agyidifoɔ no abomfiaa sɛ wɔyɛ anuanom enti. Mmom, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsom wɔn yie, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn som no ho wɔ mfasoɔ ma agyedifoɔ ne adɔfoɔ bebree. 3Ɛsɛ sɛ mokyerɛkyerɛ na moka yeinom nyinaa. Obiara a ɔbɛma nkyerɛkyerɛ foforɔ na ɔnka nokorɛ a ɛfa yɛn Awurade Yesu Kristo ne yɛn nyamesom ho no 4yɛ ɔhantanni a ɔnnim hwee. Ɔyɛ obi a ɔfiri adwemmɔne mu gye akyinnyeɛ na ɔka nsɛm a ɛnam so de anibereɛ, akasakasa, kasafi, nnipa ho adwemmɔne 5ne mansotwe a ɛfiri adwene a emu nnɔ mu na nokorɛ nni mu ba. Wɔdwene sɛ nyamesom yɛ kwan bi a wɔnam so pɛ sika.
6Onyamesom pa a abodwoɔ wɔ muo yɛ adenya kɛseɛ. 7Yɛamfa hwee amma ewiase. Saa ara nso na yɛremfa hwee nkɔ. 8Ɛno enti, sɛ yɛwɔ aduane ne ntoma a, ɛno nko dɔɔso ma yɛn. 9Wɔn a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔnya wɔn ho no kɔtɔ sɔhwɛ mu na ɛdane ɔhaw ma wɔn ma ɛtwe wɔn kɔ ɔsɛeɛ mu. 10Na sikanibereɛ yɛ bɔne nyinaa nhini. Nnipa bi de sikanibereɛ asi wɔn ani so dendeenden nam so ama wɔapa wɔn gyidie ama awerɛhoɔ ahyɛ wɔn akoma ma.
11Enti, wo a woyɛ Onyankopɔn onipa, twe wo ho firi yeinom nyinaa ho. Di tenenee, Onyamesom pa, gyidie, ɔdɔ, boasetɔ ne ɔdwoɔ akyi. 12Bɔ gyidie mu mmirikatuo no ho mmɔden na pere nya nkwa a ɛnni awieeɛ no ma wo ho, ɛfiri sɛ, saa abrabɔ yi enti na ɛberɛ a wodaa wo gyidie adi wɔ adansefoɔ bebree anim no, Onyankopɔn frɛɛ wo. 13Meka no wɔ Onyankopɔn a ɔma nneɛma nyinaa nkwa no ne Kristo Yesu a ɔkaa nokorɛ wɔ Pontio Pilato anim, hyɛ wo sɛ, 14tie mmara a mahyɛ ama wo no na di so pɛpɛɛpɛ kɔsi da a Yesu Kristo bɛba. 15Onyankopɔn a wɔahyira no na ɔno nko ara di Ɔhene, Ahene mu Ɔhene ne Awura mu Awurade no bɛma no aba ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ mu. 16Ɔno nko na ɔwɔ hɔ daa, ɔte hann a obi ntumi mmɛn ho mu. Obiara nhunuu no da na obiara nso rentumi nhunu no da. Ɔno na anidie ne tumi a ɛnni awieeɛ wɔ no. Amen.
17Bɔ ewiase yi mu ahonyafoɔ kɔkɔ sɛ, wɔmmfa wɔn ahonya nhoahoa wɔn ho, na wɔmmfa wɔn anidasoɔ nso nhyɛ adehunu te sɛ ahonya mu, na mmom, wɔmfa wɔn ho nto Onyankopɔn a ɛnam nʼadɔeɛ so, ɔmaa yɛn asetena mu nneɛma pa nyinaa no so. 18Hyɛ wɔn sɛ, wɔnyɛ papa na wɔnyɛ adefoɔ wɔ nnwuma pa yɛ mu. Wɔnyɛ ayamyɛ na wɔne afoforɔ nkyɛ. 19Sɛ wɔyɛ saa a, wɔbɛto fapem pa ama wɔn daakye. Na wɔnam so anya asetena a ɛyɛ asetena pa.
20Timoteo, hwɛ deɛ wɔde ahyɛ wo nsa no so yie. Twe wo ho firi ahuhusɛm ne akyinnyehunu a wɔnam atorɔ so frɛ no “Nimdeɛ” no ho. 21Nnipa bi gye tom sɛ wɔwɔ saa nimdeɛ no nam so ahwere gyidie kwan no.
Onyankopɔn adom nka mo.
