1 Timothy 5
1 Don't rebuke a man who is older than you. Instead, encourage him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers,
Πρεσβυτέρῳ μὴ ἐπιπλήξῃς, ἀλλὰ παρακάλει ὡς πατέρα, νεωτέρους ὡς ἀδελφούς,
2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with the highest standards of decency.
πρεσβυτέρας ὡς μητέρας, νεωτέρας ὡς ἀδελφὰς ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ.
3 Help widows who don't have a family.
Χήρας τίμα τὰς ὄντως χήρας.
4 For the Christian responsibility of a widow's children or grandchildren is to do their duty for their own family, and repay their parents by helping them out. This is what pleases God.
εἰ δέ τις χήρα τέκνα ἢ ἔκγονα ἔχει, μανθανέτωσαν πρῶτον τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον εὐσεβεῖν καὶ ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς προγόνοις· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ.
5 Now a real widow, having no family, alone and without support, puts her hope in God and prays for help night and day.
ἡ δὲ ὄντως χήρα καὶ μεμονωμένη ἤλπικεν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ προσμένει ταῖς δεήσεσι καὶ ταῖς προσευχαῖς νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας·
6 But a widow who concentrates on pleasing herself is already dead, even though she's still physically alive.
ἡ δὲ σπαταλῶσα ζῶσα τέθνηκε.
7 Give people these instructions so that they will be above criticism.
καὶ ταῦτα παράγγελλε, ἵνα ἀνεπίληπτοι ὦσιν.
8 But those who don't look after their relatives, especially their own family, have denied their beliefs, and are worse than those who don't believe.
εἰ δέ τις τῶν ἰδίων καὶ μάλιστα τῶν οἰκείων οὐ προνοεῖ, τὴν πίστιν ἤρνηται καὶ ἔστιν ἀπίστου χείρων.
9 Only widows over sixty who have been faithful to their husbands should be put on the list.
Χήρα καταλεγέσθω μὴ ἔλαττον ἐτῶν ἑξήκοντα γεγονυῖα, ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς γυνή,
10 The widow should have a reputation for doing good. Did she bring up children properly? Has she been hospitable? Has she washed the feet of church members? Has she helped those who were in trouble? Has she really tried to do good in every way?
ἐν ἔργοις καλοῖς μαρτυρουμένη, εἰ ἐτεκνοτρόφησεν, εἰ ἐξενοδόχησεν, εἰ ἁγίων πόδας ἔνιψεν, εἰ θλιβομένοις ἐπήρκεσεν, εἰ παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ ἐπηκολούθησε.
11 Don't take on widows who are younger, because when their physical desires make them want to re-marry they abandon their dedication to Christ.
νεωτέρας δὲ χήρας παραιτοῦ· ὅταν γὰρ καταστρηνιάσωσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, γαμεῖν θέλουσιν,
12 In this they are guilty of breaking their previous commitment.
ἔχουσαι κρῖμα, ὅτι τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν·
13 They also get used to a lazy life, just visiting each other in their homes. Not only lazy, but they gossip and meddle, talking about things they shouldn't.
ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἀργαὶ μανθάνουσι περιερχόμεναι τὰς οἰκίας, οὐ μόνον δὲ ἀργαί, ἀλλὰ καὶ φλύαροι καὶ περίεργοι, λαλοῦσαι τὰ μὴ δέοντα.
14 So my best advice is that younger widows marry and have children and take care of the home. That way there's no opportunity for criticism from the Enemy.
βούλομαι οὖν νεωτέρας γαμεῖν, τεκνογονεῖν, οἰκοδεσποτεῖν, μηδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν διδόναι τῷ ἀντικειμένῳ λοιδορίας χάριν.
15 However, some have already gone the way of Satan.
ἤδη γάρ τινες ἐξετράπησαν ὀπίσω τοῦ σατανᾶ.
16 Any Christian woman who has widows in the family should help them, so that the church is not burdened with the responsibility, and can help those widows who are truly in need.
εἴ τις πιστὸς ἢ πιστὴ ἔχει χήρας, ἐπαρκείτω αὐταῖς, καὶ μὴ βαρείσθω ἡ ἐκκλησία, ἵνα ταῖς ὄντως χήραις ἐπαρκέσῃ.
17 Elders who direct the church well should be seen as doubly valuable, particularly those who work in speaking the Word and in teaching.
Οἱ καλῶς προεστῶτες πρεσβύτεροι διπλῆς τιμῆς ἀξιούσθωσαν, μάλιστα οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ·
18 As Scripture says, “Don't muzzle the ox when it's threshing out the grain.” Also, “The worker deserves to be paid.”
λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή· βοῦν ἀλοῶντα οὐ φιμώσεις· καί· ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ.
19 Don't entertain any accusation against an elder unless two or three witnesses support it.
κατὰ πρεσβυτέρου κατηγορίαν μὴ παραδέχου, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων.
20 Censure those who sin in front of everyone as a warning to others as well.
τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐνώπιον πάντων ἔλεγχε, ἵνα καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ φόβον ἔχωσι.
21 Before God and Christ Jesus, and the holy angels, I instruct you to follow these instructions without bias. Don't do anything from an attitude of favoritism.
διαμαρτύρομαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν ἀγγέλων, ἵνα ταῦτα φυλάξῃς, χωρὶς προκρίματος μηδὲν ποιῶν κατὰ πρόσκλησιν.
22 Don't be in a hurry to lay hands on anyone; and don't get involved in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
χεῖρας ταχέως μηδενὶ ἐπιτίθει, μηδὲ κοινώνει ἁμαρτίαις ἀλλοτρίαις· σεαυτὸν ἁγνὸν τήρει.
23 Don't just drink water, but use a little bit of wine because of your bad stomach—you're sick so often!
Μηκέτι ὑδροπότει, ἀλλ᾽ οἴνῳ ὀλίγῳ χρῶ διὰ τὸν στόμαχόν σου καὶ τὰς πυκνάς σου ἀσθενείας.
24 The sins of some people are really obvious, and they are clearly guilty, but the sins of others are not seen until later.
Τινῶν ἀνθρώπων αἱ ἁμαρτίαι πρόδηλοί εἰσι, προάγουσαι εἰς κρίσιν, τισὶ δὲ καὶ ἐπακολουθοῦσιν·
25 Similarly some good works are obvious, and even those that are hidden won't be for long.
ὡσαύτως καὶ τὰ καλὰ ἔργα πρόδηλά ἐστι, καὶ τὰ ἄλλως ἔχοντα κρυβῆναι οὐ δύνανται.
