Προς Τιμοθεον Β΄ 2
1 Σὺ οὖν, τέκνον μου, ἐνδυναμοῦ ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,
Do you, then, my Child, find strength in the help which comes from the union with Christ Jesus;
2 καὶ ἃ ἤκουσας παρ’ ἐμοῦ διὰ πολλῶν μαρτύρων, ταῦτα παράθου πιστοῖς ἀνθρώποις, οἵτινες ἱκανοὶ ἔσονται καὶ ἑτέρους διδάξαι.
and what you learnt from me, in the presence of many listeners, entrust to reliable men, who will be able in their turn to teach others.
3 συνκακοπάθησον ὡς καλὸς στρατιώτης Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
Share hardships with me, as a true soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις, ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ.
A soldier on active service, to please his superior officer, always avoids entangling himself in the affairs of ordinary life.
5 ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἀθλῇ τις, οὐ στεφανοῦται ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ.
No athlete is ever awarded the wreath of victory unless he has kept the rules.
6 τὸν κοπιῶντα γεωργὸν δεῖ πρῶτον τῶν καρπῶν μεταλαμβάνειν.
The labourer who does the work should be the first to receive a share of the fruits of the earth.
7 νόει ὃ λέγω· δώσει γάρ σοι ὁ Κύριος σύνεσιν ἐν πᾶσιν.
Reflect upon what I say; the Lord will always help you to understand.
8 Μνημόνευε Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐγηγερμένον ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυείδ, κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου·
Keep before your mind Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David, as told in the Good News entrusted to me;
9 ἐν ᾧ κακοπαθῶ μέχρι δεσμῶν ὡς κακοῦργος, ἀλλὰ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ δέδεται.
in the service of which I am suffering hardships, even to being put in fetters as a criminal. But the Message of God is not fettered;
10 διὰ τοῦτο πάντα ὑπομένω διὰ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ σωτηρίας τύχωσιν τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ μετὰ δόξης αἰωνίου. (aiōnios g166)
and that is why I submit to anything for the sake of God’s People, that they also may obtain the Salvation which comes from union with Christ Jesus, and imperishable glory. (aiōnios g166)
11 Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος· εἰ γὰρ συναπεθάνομεν, καὶ συζήσομεν·
How true this saying is — ‘If we have shared his death, we shall also share his life.
12 εἰ ὑπομένομεν, καὶ συνβασιλεύσομεν· εἰ ἀρνησόμεθα, κἀκεῖνος ἀρνήσεται ἡμᾶς·
If we continue to endure, we shall also share his throne. If we should ever disown him, he, too, will disown us.
13 εἰ ἀπιστοῦμεν, ἐκεῖνος πιστὸς μένει, ἀρνήσασθαι γὰρ ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται.
If we lose our trust, he is still to be trusted, for he cannot be false to himself!’
14 Ταῦτα ὑπομίμνῃσκε, διαμαρτυρόμενος ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ λογομαχεῖν, ἐπ’ οὐδὲν χρήσιμον, ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων.
Remind people of all this; urge them solemnly, as in the sight of God, to avoid controversy, a useless thing and the ruin of those who listen to it.
15 σπούδασον σεαυτὸν δόκιμον παραστῆσαι τῷ Θεῷ, ἐργάτην ἀνεπαίσχυντον, ὀρθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας.
Do your utmost to show yourself true to God, a workman with no reason to be ashamed, accurate in delivering the Message of the Truth.
16 τὰς δὲ βεβήλους κενοφωνίας περιΐστασο· ἐπὶ πλεῖον γὰρ προκόψουσιν ἀσεβείας,
Avoid profane prattle. Those who indulge in it only get deeper into irreligious ways,
17 καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν ὡς γάγγραινα νομὴν ἕξει· ὧν ἐστιν Ὑμέναιος καὶ Φιλητός,
and their teaching will spread like a cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are instances of this.
18 οἵτινες περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἠστόχησαν, λέγοντες ἀνάστασιν ἤδη γεγονέναι, καὶ ἀνατρέπουσιν τήν τινων πίστιν.
They have gone completely astray as regards the Truth; they say that a resurrection has already taken place, and so upset some people’s faith.
19 ὁ μέντοι στερεὸς θεμέλιος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕστηκεν, ἔχων τὴν σφραγῖδα ταύτην Ἔγνω Κύριος τοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ, καί Ἀποστήτω ἀπὸ ἀδικίας πᾶς ὁ ὀνομάζων τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου.
Yet God’s firm foundation still stands unmoved, and it bears this inscription — ‘THE LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS’; and this — ‘LET ALL THOSE WHO USE THE NAME OF THE LORD TURN AWAY FROM WICKEDNESS.’
20 ἐν μεγάλῃ δὲ οἰκίᾳ οὐκ ἔστιν μόνον σκεύη χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ξύλινα καὶ ὀστράκινα, καὶ ἃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν ἃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν·
Now in a large house there are not only things of gold and silver, but also others of wood and earthenware, some for better and some for common use.
21 ἐὰν οὖν τις ἐκκαθάρῃ ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τούτων, ἔσται σκεῦος εἰς τιμήν, ἡγιασμένον, εὔχρηστον τῷ δεσπότῃ, εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἡτοιμασμένον.
If, then, a man has escaped from the pollution of such errors as I have mentioned, he will be like a thing kept for better use, set apart, serviceable to its owner, ready for any good purpose.
22 τὰς δὲ νεωτερικὰς ἐπιθυμίας φεῦγε, δίωκε δὲ δικαιοσύνην, πίστιν, ἀγάπην, εἰρήνην μετὰ τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων τὸν Κύριον ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας.
Flee from the passions of youth, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, in the company of those who, with a pure heart, invoke the Lord.
23 τὰς δὲ μωρὰς καὶ ἀπαιδεύτους ζητήσεις παραιτοῦ, εἰδὼς ὅτι γεννῶσιν μάχας·
Shun foolish and ignorant discussions, for you know that they only breed quarrels;
24 δοῦλον δὲ Κυρίου οὐ δεῖ μάχεσθαι ἀλλὰ ἤπιον εἶναι πρὸς πάντας, διδακτικόν, ἀνεξίκακον,
and a Servant of the Lord should never quarrel. He ought, on the contrary, to be courteous to every one, a skilful teacher, and forbearing.
25 ἐν πραΰτητι παιδεύοντα τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους, μή ποτε δώῃ αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς μετάνοιαν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας,
He should instruct his opponents in a gentle spirit; for, possibly, God may give them a repentance that will lead to a fuller knowledge of Truth,
26 καὶ ἀνανήψωσιν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδος, ἐζωγρημένοι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα.
and they may yet come to a sober mind, and escape from the snares of the Devil, when captured by the Lord’s Servant to do the will of God.
