2 Timothy 3:4

Simplified Cowboy Version

They'll stab their friends in the back for a buck and puff their chests out in pride for what they've done. Their pleasure will be other's pain and they will not know God.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

King James Version (1611)
Traitours, heady, high minded, louers of pleasures more then louers of God,

King James Version
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

English Standard Version
treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

New American Standard Bible
treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

New Century Version
will turn against their friends, and will do foolish things without thinking. They will be conceited, will love pleasure instead of God,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Legacy Standard Bible
treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Berean Standard Bible
traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Contemporary English Version
They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure.

Complete Jewish Bible
traitorous, headstrong, swollen with conceit, loving pleasure rather than God,

Darby Translation
traitors, headlong, of vain pretensions, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;

Easy-to-Read Version
People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking and will be so proud of themselves. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Traitours, headie, high minded, louers of pleasures more then louers of God,

George Lamsa Translation
Traitors, hasty, boasters, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Good News Translation
they will be treacherous, reckless, and swollen with pride; they will love pleasure rather than God;

Lexham English Bible
traitors, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God,

Literal Translation
betrayers, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Amplified Bible
traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God,

American Standard Version
traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;

Bible in Basic English
False to their friends, acting without thought, lifted up in mind, loving pleasure more than God;

Hebrew Names Version
traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;

International Standard Version
traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.Philippians 3:19; 2 Peter 2:10,13; Jude 1:4,19;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
4 traitors, impetuous [fn] puffed up, lovers of lusts rather than the love of Aloha;

Murdock Translation
treacherous, rash, inflated, attached to pleasure more than to the love of God,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Traytours, headdy, hye mynded, louers of pleasures more then louers of God:

English Revised Version
traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;

World English Bible
traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Traitors, rash, puffed up, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;

Weymouth's New Testament
treacherous, headstrong, self-important. They will love pleasure instead of loving God,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
with out benygnyte, traitouris, ouerthwert, bollun with proude thouytis, blynde, loueris of lustis more than of God,

Update Bible Version
traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;

Webster's Bible Translation
Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

New English Translation
treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God.

New King James Version
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

New Living Translation
They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

New Life Bible
They will not stay true to their friends. They will act without thinking. They will think too much of themselves. They will love fun instead of loving God.

New Revised Standard
treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
traitors, reckless, beclouded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasure more than of God:

Revised Standard Version
treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
traytours heddy hye mynded gredy apon volupteousnes more then the lovers of god

Young's Literal Translation
traitors, heady, lofty, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
traytours, heady, hye mynded, gredy vpon voluptuousnes more then the louers of God,

Mace New Testament (1729)
cruel, enemies to virtue, traitors, insolent, conceited, and more devoted to pleasure than to piety:

Contextual Overview

¹Know this, Timothy! When the end is near, the trail will be very difficult. ²People's priorities will only be money and themselves. They will be arrogant and proud. Not only will they scoff at God, but their parents as well. They won't have a grateful bone in their body. Nothing will be sacred. ³Their saddlebags will be filled with hate and unforgiveness. They'll be slaves to lust and slander. Cruelty will mark their trail and they will hate anything that is good. ⁴They'll stab their friends in the back for a buck and puff their chests out in pride for what they've done. Their pleasure will be other's pain and they will not know God. ⁵They will act religious, but deny the power that could change their lives into something special. Steer clear of cowboys like that. ⁶These cowboys are really snakes that slither into vulnerable women's homes with empty promises and lustful desires. ⁷Vulnerable women will believe any new teaching that promises them a better life than the one they have. They will be unable to see the truth. ⁸These wannabe cowboys are counterfeits. They are like Jannes and Jambres who went up against Moses. ⁹But they won't get away with their falsehoods for long. Every fool will one day get what's coming to them and others will see them for who they really are.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Traitors: 2 Peter 2:10-22, Jude 1:8, Jude 1:9

highminded: Romans 11:20, 1 Timothy 6:17

lovers of God: Romans 16:18, Philippians 3:18, Philippians 3:19, 1 Timothy 5:6, 2 Peter 2:13, 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 1:4, Jude 1:19

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 32:41 - them that hate Psalms 52:3 - lovest Proverbs 21:17 - loveth Matthew 22:5 - one Luke 12:19 - take John 15:24 - hated Romans 1:25 - the creature Romans 8:7 - the carnal mind 1 Timothy 6:4 - He 2 Timothy 3:2 - lovers James 5:5 - have lived

Cross-References

2 Corinthians 2:11
When we don't forgive folks, that leaves the door ajar for the devil to sneak through. And that old serpent don't need much of an opening to create pure chaos.

2 Corinthians 11:3
But I think y'all are anything but pure. Y'all have passed yourselves around like a bad cold. Your loyalty to the brand has been corrupted. Y'all have been seduced like Eve was in the beginning.

1 Timothy 2:14
Eve was deceived by Satan, but even though Adam knew better, she convinced him to follow. The result is the sorry world we live in.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Traitors,.... To their princes and sovereigns, whose deaths they have contrived and compassed, and whom they have assassinated and murdered; and have been betrayers of the secrets of persons, which they have come at by auricular confession to them; and of their best and nearest friends, to preserve and secure themselves.

Heady; rash, daring, bold, and impudent, fit to say and do any thing, though ever so vile and wicked.

High, minded; puffed and swelled up with a vain conceit of themselves, and speaking great swelling words of vanity;

lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; lovers of sinful pleasures, or the pleasures of sin, which are but for a season, and not God; serving divers lusts and pleasures, and not God; making a god of their belly; sensual idolaters, delighting themselves in their carnal lusts, and not in the service of God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Traitors - This word is used in the New Testament only here and in Luke 6:16; Acts 7:52. It means any one who betrays - whether it be a friend or his country. Treason has been in all ages regarded as one of the worst crimes that man can commit.

Heady - The same word in Acts 19:36, is rendered rashly. It occurs only there and in this place in the New Testament. It properly means “falling forwards; prone, inclined, ready to do anything; then precipitate, headlong, rash.” It is opposed to that which is deliberate and calm, and here means that men would be ready to do anything without deliberation, or concern for the consequences. They would engage in enterprises which would only disturb society, or prove their own ruin.

High-minded - Literally, “puffed up;” compare the notes at 1 Timothy 3:6, where the same word is rendered “lifted up with pride.” The meaning is, that they would be inflated with pride or self-conceit.

Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God - That is, of sensual pleasures, or vain amusements. This has been, and is, the characteristic of a great part of the world, and has often distinguished even many who profess religion. Of a large portion of mankind it may be said that this is their characteristic, that they live for pleasure; they have no serious pursuits; they brook no restraints which interfere with their amusements, and they greatly prefer the pleasures to be found in the gay assembly, in the ball-room, or in the place of low dissipation, to the friendship of their Creator.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Timothy 3:4. Traitors — προδοται. From προ, before, and διδωμι, to deliver up. Those who deliver up to an enemy the person who has put his life in their hands; such as the Scots of 1648, who delivered up into the hands of his enemies their unfortunate countryman and king, Charles the First; a stain which no lapse of ages can wipe out.

Heady — προπετεις. From προ, forwards, and πιπτω, to fall; headstrong, precipitate, rash, inconsiderate.

High-minded — τετυφωμενοι. From τοφος, smoke; the frivolously aspiring; those who are full of themselves, and empty of all good.

Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God — This is nervously and beautifully expressed in the Greek, φιληδονοιμαλλονη φιλοθεοι lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; i.e. pleasure, sensual gratification, is their god; and this they love and serve; God they do not.