6:17 Command those who are rich in this world’s goods 1 not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, 2 but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. 6:18 Tell them to do good, 3 to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. 4 6:19 In this way they will save up 5 a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation 6 for the future and so lay hold of 7 what is truly life.
6:20 O Timothy, protect what has been entrusted to you. Avoid 8 the profane chatter and absurdities 9 of so-called “knowledge.” 10 6:21 By professing it, some have strayed from the faith. 11 Grace be with you all. 12
1 tn Grk “in the present age.”
2 tn Grk “in uncertainty.”
3 tn Grk “to do good” (the continuation of 6:17). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 18.
4 tn Grk “to be generous,” “sharing.”
5 tn Grk “saving up” (the continuation of 6:18). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 19.
6 tn Grk “treasuring up a good foundation.”
7 tn Grk “that they may lay hold of.”
8 tn Grk “avoiding.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
9 tn Or “contradictions.”
10 tn Grk “the falsely named knowledge.”
11 tn Grk “have deviated concerning the faith.”
12 tc Most witnesses (א2 D1 Ψ Ï sy) conclude this letter with ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the earliest and best witnesses (א* A D* F G 33 81 1739* 1881 it sa) lack the particle, indicating that the letter concluded with “Grace be with you all.”
tn Grk “with you” (but the Greek pronoun indicates the meaning is plural here).