[3:10] But you have followed my teaching, my conduct, and my purpose in life; you have observed my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance,
[3:11] my persecutions, and my sufferings. You know all that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, the terrible persecutions I endured! But the Lord rescued me from them all.
[3:12] Everyone who wants to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted;
[3:13] and evil persons and impostors will keep on going from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.
[3:14] But as for you, continue in the truths that you were taught and firmly believe. You know who your teachers were,
[3:15] and you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
[3:16] All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living,
[3:17] so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.
[4:1] In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and because he is coming to rule as King, I solemnly urge you
[4:2] to preach the message, to insist upon proclaiming it (whether the time is right or not), to convince, reproach, and encourage, as you teach with all patience.
[4:3] The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear.
[4:4] They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends.
[4:5] But you must keep control of yourself in all circumstances; endure suffering, do the work of a preacher of the Good News, and perform your whole duty as a servant of God.
[4:6] As for me, the hour has come for me to be sacrificed; the time is here for me to leave this life.
[4:7] I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith.
[4:8] And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day—and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for him to appear.