2 Timothy 4:1 kjv — I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing…

2 Timothy 4:1 in the King James Version reads: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;”

2 Timothy 4:1 is found in the New Testament, in the book of 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 1.

2 Timothy is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. It was written c. AD 66–67.

Paul's last letter, written from a Roman prison shortly before his execution. It is a tender, urgent passing-on of the baton: keep the faith, guard the gospel, preach the word, endure hardship. "I have fought a good fight."

2 Timothy explores themes including Endurance, Scripture, Faithfulness, Preaching, Final Hope. These themes shape the meaning and context of 2 Timothy 4:1.

2 Timothy 4:1 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.

2 Timothy 4:1 reads (KJV): “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.