Titu 1

1 Sithaw ih tamna, Kri Jesu mah patoeh ih kami, Sithaw mah qoih ih kaminawk loe tanghaih tawnh moe, Sithaw hoi loktang to panoek han oh;

I, Paul, [am writing this letter to you, Titus]. [God appointed me to be] his servant and [to be] an apostle [who represents] Jesus Christ. [God appointed me in order that I might teach] those whom God has chosen [to be his people] to [correctly] believe [in him]. He wants me to teach them the true [teachings about God], in order that they will learn to behave (in a [godly manner/] a [manner that pleases God]).

2 lok amlai thai ai, dungzan kahing oephaih, Sithaw loe long om ai na hoiah lokkamhaih to sak boeh; (aiōnios g166)

[As a result of my doing these things, his people] confidently expect that God will cause them to live forever. God, who never lies, promised before he created the world that [his people] would live forever. (aiōnios g166)

3 toe atue phak naah loe lok taphonghaih rang hoiah Anih ih lok to amtueng boeh, to lok loe aicae pahlongkung Sithaw ih lokpaekhaih baktih toengah kai Pawl khaeah ang paek boeh,

Then at the time that he [chose], he revealed [to us his] message. [Specifically], God our Savior gave this message to me, and he trusted me to proclaim it to people.

4 tanghaih bangah ka capa, Titu khaeah, Ampa Sithaw, aicae pahlongkung Jesu Kri khae hoi ih tahmenhaih, amlunghaih hoi monghaih to om nasoe.

Titus, [I am writing this letter] to [you because you are like] a true son [MET] [to me because I led/helped you to] believe the same [teachings about Christ that I do]. ([I pray that/May]) [God our Father and Christ Jesus our Savior will continue to] act kindly toward you and cause you to have [inner] peace.

5 Sak han ka ngaih hmuennawk to sak moe, avang kruekah kacoehtanawk qoih han ih ni Crete prae ah kang caehtaak.

When I [asked you] to stay on Crete [island], I wanted you to do these things: [Teach the believers what they need to know so that they] can understand correctly the [spiritual] matters about which some are teaching wrongly. Appoint elders [in the congregation] in each town in the manner in which I told you to do.

6 To baktih toksak han koeh kami loe coek koi om ai kami, zu maeto tawn kami, anih ih caanawk loe tuinuen set o, lok tahngai o ai, tiah kaminawk mah thuihsawk ih kami hoi oep kaom ai kami ah oh o han om ai.

[When you appoint men as elders], you must choose men whom no one can [justly] accuse of [habitually] doing what is wrong (OR, whom everyone speaks well of). Specifically, appoint men who have been faithful to their wives. Appoint men whose children faithfully obey [them. Do not appoint men whose children habitually] do all the things that their bodies urge them to do, or who refuse to obey their parents.

7 Kricaabu zaehoikung loe Sithaw ih toksah kami ah oh baktih toengah, coek koi om ai kami ah oh han angaih; angmah taham poek ai kami, poek amthueng ai kami, mu nae ai kami, angzoeh koeh ai kami, kaciim ai loklam hoiah hak ih phoisa koeh hmoek ai kami;

Leaders [of the congregation] must be [men] who, as everyone knows, habitually do what is good (OR, [whom] no one can [justly] accuse of doing what is wrong), because it is on God’s behalf that they will direct/serve [the congregation. Specifically, they must] not be arrogant/proud. They must not easily become angry. They must not [be men who] drink much alcohol. They must not [be men who] ([act] violently/fight) [when they are angry. They must] not [be men who are] (greedy for/strongly desire to get) money.

8 angvin khenzawn thaih kami, kami kahoih hoiah angkom koeh kami, poek angsum thaih kami, poektoeng kami, kaciim ah khosah kami, nongpa nongpata zaesakhaih angsum thaih kami ah oh han angaih,

Instead, they must be ones who welcome and take care of guests. They must (be devoted to/like to do) what is good. They must do [what God considers] to be right. They must be (holy/completely dedicated to God). They must be men who do what their minds tell them is right to do [and not what their emotions/desires urge them to do].

9 angmah amtuk ih oep kathok loknawk to kacakah angdoe haih kami, katoeng patukhaih lok hoiah lok angaek koeh kaminawk ih palungthin to pazawk moe, thapaek thaih kami ah oh han angaih.

They must firmly believe in the message [about Jesus Christ] exactly as [I/we(inc)] taught it, in order that they might be able to teach [the believers] what is correct and to urge [them to follow it well. If they firmly accept our message], they will be able to convince those who oppose [what is correct that they are wrong].

10 Lok tahngai ai, atho kaom ai lokthui kaminawk hoi aling kop kaminawk oh o mangh, lokpui koekah tangzat hin aat kaminawk thungah pop o aep:

[I say this] because there are many [people who oppose the correct teachings]. They refuse to obey people who have authority over them, they talk ([on and on/without stopping]), saying what helps no one, and they deceive people. The Jewish [believers] [MTY] [who insist we must obey all the Jewish rituals are] especially [doing this].

11 nihcae ih pakha to tamuep pae han angaih, nihcae loe kaciim ai loklam hoiah hak ih phoisa to koeh o pongah, patuk koi ai hmuennawk to patuk o moe, imthung takoh boih amro o sak.

[You and the leaders whom you appoint] should prevent such people from teaching [the believers]. They are causing whole families to stop believing in the correct teachings [MET] by means of their teaching [people wrong ideas/teachings. They are teaching people only] in order that people will give them money, [which is very] shameful [for them to do].

12 Angmacae thung ih kami maeto ah kaom, angmacae ih tahmaa maeto mah loe, Crete kaminawk loe lok amlai kami, moi kasan palungthin tawn kami, caaknaek amoeh kami ah oh o, tiah thuih.

A man from Crete [island] whom [they consider] a prophet said, “[My fellow] Cretan people are always lying [to one another! They are like dangerous] wild animals [MET]! They are lazy and always eat too much food [SYN]!”

13 Hae tiah thuih ih lok loe amsoem. Nihcae mah katoeng tanghaih pazui o thai hanah, nihcae to kahoih ah thuitaek ah;

The words that this man said [about the Cretan people] are [still] true, [especially about their being liars]. So, rigorously convince/show [those Cretan believers] that those [false teachings] are wrong. Tell them to [firmly] believe in the correct teachings.

14 loktang angqoi taak, Judahnawk ih ruicinawk hoi kami mah thuih rumram ih loknawk to tahngai pae hmah.

[Teach them that] they should no [longer] listen to the stories that the Jews (made up/invented). [Especially] they should refuse to obey those who reject our true teachings, because those people are teaching things that only come from human beings, [not from God].

15 Kaciim kami hanah loe hmuennawk boih ciim: toe kaciim ai kami, katang ai kaminawk hanah loe tidoeh ciim ai; a poek o haih hoi kasae kahoih panoekhaih palung doeh ciim ai.

[Believers should reject] what they teach about food, [because] no [food that we eat] can make us unacceptable to God if we are pure [in our] ([inner beings/hearts]). But if people are evil and they do not trust [in Christ Jesus], there is no [ritual] that can make them acceptable to God. Such people’s way of thinking has been ruined {Such people have ruined their way of thinking}, and they do not even feel guilty [when they do what is evil].

16 Nihcae loe Sithaw panoek kami baktiah angsak o; toe a sak o ih tok mah Anih panoek kami na ai ni, tiah amtuengsak, nihcae loe panuet thok kami, lok tahngai ai kami, hoihhaih hmuen maeto doeh sah thai ai kami ah ni oh o.

Even though they claim/say that they know God, by what they do they [show that they] do not know (God/his true teaching). They do not obey [God], and they are unable to do anything that he considers to be good. [So God considers them to be absolutely] disgusting!