1 Timothy 3
1 This is a trustworthy statement: “If someone aspires to be an elder, this is a good work to want to do.”
Ũhoro ũyũ nĩguo wa kwĩhokeka: Atĩ mũndũ o wothe angĩĩrirĩria gũtuĩka mũrori wa maũndũ ma kanitha, mũndũ ũcio nĩerirĩirie wĩra wa bata.
2 An elder must be above reproach, married to one wife, self-controlled, well-balanced, sensible, hospitable, and able to teach.
Rĩu-rĩ, mũrori wa maũndũ ma kanitha no nginya akorwo atarĩ na ũcuuke, na akorwo nĩ mũthuuri wa mũtumia ũmwe. No nginya akorwo arĩ mũhooreri, na ũũĩ kwĩgirĩrĩria merirĩria ma mwĩrĩ, na mũndũ mũtĩĩku, na mũndũ ũnyiitaga andũ ũgeni, na ũngĩhota kũrutana maũndũ.
3 He should be someone who doesn't get drunk or become violent, but is gentle, and is not argumentative or greedy for money.
No ndagakorwo arĩ mũrĩĩu, kana arĩ wa ngũĩ, no akorwo arĩ mũhooreri, na mũndũ ũtarĩ wa mbaara, na ũtarĩ thuti ya mbeeca.
4 He must handle his own family well. His children must respect what he tells them to do.
No nginya akorwo ahotete gwatha mũciĩ wake wega, na one atĩ ciana ciake nĩimwathĩkagĩra na gĩtĩĩo kĩrĩa kĩagĩrĩire.
5 (For if a man doesn't know how to manage his own family, how can he manage God's church?)
(Mũndũ angĩkorwo ndangĩhota gwatha mũciĩ wake mwene-rĩ, angĩhota atĩa kũmenyerera kanitha wa Ngai?)
6 He should not be a new believer, in case he gets so full of himself he falls under the same condemnation as the devil.
Ningĩ ndagakorwo arĩ mũndũ mwerũ wĩtĩkio-inĩ ndakae kũgĩa na mwĩtĩĩo, nake atuĩrwo ciira ta ũrĩa mũcukani aatuĩrĩirwo.
7 People outside the church should also speak well of him so that he won't disgrace himself and fall into the devil's trap.
Ningĩ no nginya akorwo arĩ na ngumo njega kũrĩ andũ arĩa matarĩ a thiritũ iitũ, nĩgeetha ndagatuĩke wa gũconorithio kana agwe mũtego-inĩ wa mũcukani.
8 Similarly deacons should be respected, and not hypocritical. They should not be addicted to drink, and should not be trying to dishonestly enrich themselves.
Nao ateithĩrĩria a kanitha, nĩmagĩrĩirwo makoragwo marĩ andũ a gũtĩĩka na ehokeku, matigatuĩke anyui a ndibei mũno, na makorwo matarĩ a gũkorokera indo na njĩra ĩtagĩrĩire.
9 They must stick to the revealed truth about God, trusting in him with a pure conscience.
No nginya marũmie ũhoro-ũrĩa-wa-ma wa wĩtĩkio ũrĩa mũrikĩru marĩ na thamiri itarĩ na mwĩcuuko.
10 They should be tried out first, and if they can't be faulted then let them serve as deacons.
Nao mambe magerio; na thuutha ũcio marekwo matuĩke ateithĩrĩria a maũndũ ma kanitha maakorwo matarĩ na ũcuuke.
11 Their wives should be respected too. They should not slander people with gossip, and they should be self-controlled and trustworthy in all they do.
O ũndũ ũmwe, nao atumia ao nĩmakorwo marĩ atumia a gũtĩĩka, matigakorwo marĩ andũ a gũcambania, no makorwo matarĩ arĩĩu na matuĩke a kwĩhokeka maũndũ-inĩ mothe.
12 Deacons should be married to one wife, managing their children and their homes well.
Mũteithĩrĩria wa kanitha no nginya akorwo arĩ mũthuuri wa mũtumia ũmwe, na no nginya akorwo ahotete gwatha ciana ciake na mũciĩ wake wega.
13 Those who serve well as deacons gain a good reputation and much confidence in their trust in Christ Jesus.
Arĩa matungatĩte wega nĩmegĩagĩra na ngumo njega, na makomĩrĩria mũno ũhoro-inĩ wa wĩtĩkio wao ũrĩa wa gwĩtĩkia Kristũ Jesũ.
14 Even though I hope to see you soon, I'm writing about all this to you so that
O na gũkorwo ndĩ na mwĩhoko atĩ nĩndĩrĩũka kũrĩ we narua-rĩ, ndĩrakwandĩkĩra maũndũ maya nĩgeetha,
15 if I'm delayed you'll know how people should behave themselves in God's house. This is the church of the living God, the support pillar and foundation of the truth.
ingĩaga gũũka narua, ũmenye ũrĩa andũ magĩrĩirwo nĩgũikaraga marĩ thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya Ngai, na nĩyo kanitha wa Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ muoyo, naguo nĩguo gĩtugĩ na mũthingi mũrũmu wa kũnyiitĩrĩra ũhoro-ũrĩa-wa-ma.
16 There's no question about it: the revealed truth about God is amazing! He was made known to us in human form, he was vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, declared to the nations, trusted in by the world, and taken up in glory!
Na hatarĩ nganja, ũhoro wa kwĩyamũrĩra Ngai nĩ hitho nene ma, atĩ: We oonanirio arĩ na mwĩrĩ, agĩtuuo mũthingu nĩ Roho, akĩonwo nĩ araika, na ũhoro wake ũkĩhunjio kũrĩ ndũrĩrĩ ciothe, agĩĩtĩkio nĩ andũ a gũkũ thĩ, na akĩamũkĩrwo riiri-inĩ kũrĩa igũrũ.
