2 Timothy 3:1-6

Ministry in the Last Days

3:1 But understand this, that in the last days difficult ¹  times will come. 3:2 For people ²  will be lovers of themselves, ³  lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3:3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 3:4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 3:5 They will maintain the outward appearance ⁴  of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these. ⁵  3:6 For some of these insinuate themselves ⁶  into households and captivate weak women ⁷  who are overwhelmed with sins and led along by various passions.

2 Timothy 3:1

Ministry in the Last Days

3:1 But understand this, that in the last days difficult ⁸  times will come.

2 Timothy 4:1-3

Charge to Timothy Repeated

4:1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 4:2 Preach the message, ⁹  be ready ¹⁰  whether it is convenient or not, ¹¹  reprove, rebuke, exhort ¹²  with complete patience and instruction. 4:3 For there will be a time when people ¹³  will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, ¹⁴  they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things. ¹⁵ 

[3:1]  ¹ tn Or perhaps, “dangerous,” “fierce.”

[3:2]  ² tn Grk “men”; but here ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) is generic, referring to both men and women.

[3:2]  ³ tn Or “self-centered.” The first two traits in 2 Tim 3:2 and the last two in 3:4 are Greek words beginning with the root “lovers of,” and so bracket the list at beginning and end.

[3:5]  ⁴ tn Or “form.”

[3:5]  ⁵ tn Grk “and avoid these,” with the word “people” implied.

[3:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “For from these are those who sneak.”

[3:6]  ⁷ tn Or “silly women.”

[3:1]  ⁸ tn Or perhaps, “dangerous,” “fierce.”

[4:2]  ⁹ tn Or “the word.”

[4:2]  ¹⁰ tn Or “be persistent.”

[4:2]  ¹¹ tn Grk “in season, out of season.”

[4:2]  ¹² tn Or “encourage.”

[4:3]  ¹³ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people in that future time) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:3]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “in accord with.”

[4:3]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “having an itching in regard to hearing,” “having itching ears.”