2 Timothy 1

1 Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by God's will, according to promise of life, the [life] which [is] in Christ Jesus,

This letter comes from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus chosen by God, sent to tell about the promise of real life that is in Christ Jesus.

2 to Timotheus, [my] beloved child: grace, mercy, peace, from God [the] Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I'm sending it to you Timothy, my dear son. May you have grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I am thankful to God, whom I serve from [my] forefathers with pure conscience, how unceasingly I have the remembrance of thee in my supplications night and day,

I'm always thinking of you and I'm so thankful to God, whom I serve as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience. I never forget to mention you in my prayers.

4 earnestly desiring to see thee, remembering thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

I remember how you cried, and I so want to see you! That would make me really happy.

5 calling to mind the unfeigned faith which [has been] in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also.

I keep in mind your sincere trust in God, the same trust that your grandmother Lois and mother Eunice also had—and I know that same trust continues in you.

6 For which cause I put thee in mind to rekindle the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

That's why I want to remind you to revitalize God's gracious gift to you which you received when I placed my hands on you.

7 For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of wise discretion.

God didn't give us a spirit that makes us fearful, but a spirit of power and love and good sense.

8 Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but suffer evil along with the glad tidings, according to the power of God;

So don't be ashamed to tell others about our Lord, or be ashamed of me. Instead be ready to share in suffering for the good news as God gives you strength.

9 who has saved us, and has called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to [his] own purpose and grace, which [was] given to us in Christ Jesus before [the] ages of time, (aiōnios g166)

He is the one who has saved us and called us to live a holy life—not through what we do, but by God's own plan and through his grace. (aiōnios g166)

10 but has been made manifest now by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has annulled death, and brought to light life and incorruptibility by the glad tidings;

He gave this grace to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, and is now revealed in the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus. He destroyed death, making life and immortality brilliantly clear through the good news.

11 to which I have been appointed a herald and apostle and teacher of [the] nations.

I was appointed speaker, apostle, and teacher of this good news.

12 For which cause also I suffer these things; but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep for that day the deposit I have entrusted to him.

That's also the reason I'm suffering all this, but I'm not ashamed, because I know whom I've trusted. I'm confident that he can look after what I've entrusted to him until the Day he returns.

13 Have an outline of sound words, which [words] thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which [are] in Christ Jesus.

You should follow the model of good advice that you learned from me, with an attitude of trust and love in Christ Jesus.

14 Keep, by the Holy Spirit which dwells in us, the good deposit entrusted.

Guard the truth that was entrusted to you through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

15 Thou knowest this, that all who [are] in Asia, of whom is Phygellus and Hermogenes, have turned away from me.

You already know that everyone from Asia has abandoned me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

16 The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he has often refreshed me, and has not been ashamed of my chain;

May the Lord be kind to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often took care of me and wasn't embarrassed about me being in prison.

17 but being in Rome sought me out very diligently, and found [me] —

When he was in Rome, he took the trouble to search for me, and he found me.

18 the Lord grant to him to find mercy from [the] Lord in that day — and how much service he rendered in Ephesus thou knowest best.

May the Lord grant him his blessing in the Day of Judgment. (Timothy, you're very much aware of how much Onesiphorus did for me when he was in Ephesus.)