2 ¹ For your own part, what you say must be in keeping with wholesome doctrine. 2 ² Let the older men know that they should be sober, high-principled, and temperate, sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. 2 ³ The older women, similarly, should be reverent in their bearing, not scandal-mongers or slaves to strong drink; they must set a high standard, 2 ⁴ and school the younger women to be loving wives and mothers, 2 ⁵ temperate, chaste, and kind, busy at home, respecting the authority of their own husbands. Thus the Gospel will not be brought into disrepute.
2 ⁶ Urge the younger men, similarly, to be temperate 2 ⁷ in all things, and set them a good example yourself. In your teaching, you must show integrity and high principle, 2 ⁸ and use wholesome speech to which none can take exception. This will shame any opponent, when he finds not a word to say to our discredit.
2 ⁹ Tell slaves to respect their masters' authority in everything, and to comply with their demands without answering back; 2 ¹⁰ not to pilfer, but to show themselves strictly honest and trustworthy; for in all such ways they will add lustre to the doctrine of God our Saviour.

2 ¹¹ For the grace of God has dawned upon the world with healing for all mankind; 2 ¹² and by it we are disciplined to renounce godless ways and worldly desires, and to live a life of temperance, honesty, and godliness in the present age, 2 ¹³ looking forward to the happy fulfilment of our hope when the splendour of our great God and Saviour Or: of the great God and our Saviour ... Christ Jesus will appear. 2 ¹⁴ He it is who sacrificed himself for us, to set us free from all wickedness and to make us a pure people marked out for his own, eager to do good.

2 ¹⁵ These, then, are your themes; urge them and argue them. And speak with authority: let no one slight you.