< 1 Timothy 3 >

1 IT is a true saying, If a man seeks the office of a bishop, he desireth a laudable employment.
ⲁ̅⳿ϥⲉⲛϩⲟⲧ ⳿ⲛϫⲉ ⳿ⲡⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲫⲏⲉⲑⲟⲩⲱϣ ⳿ⲉⲟⲩⲙⲉⲧⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲟⲩϩⲱⲃ ⳿ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲉϥ ⲉⲧⲉⲣⲉⲡⲓⲑⲩⲙⲓⲛ ⳿ⲉⲣⲟϥ.
2 A bishop then must be irreprehensible, the husband of one wife, temperate, sagacious, respectable, hospitable, well qualified for teaching;
ⲃ̅ⲥⲉⲙ⳿ⲡϣⲁ ⲟⲩⲛ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ϣⲱⲡⲓ ⳿ⲛⲁⲧⲗⲱⲓϫⲓ ⳿ⲉⲁϥⲉⲣϩⲁⲓ ⳿ⲛⲟⲩ⳿ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⳿ⲛⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲉϥⲣⲏ ⲥ ⳿ⲛⲥⲁⲃⲉ ⳿ⲛⲥⲉⲗⲥⲓⲗ ⳿ⲙⲙⲁⲓϣⲉⲙⲙⲟ ⳿ⲛⲣⲉϥϯ ⳿ⲥⲃⲱ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲉϥ.
3 not addicted to wine, not using hard words or blows, not greedy of base gain; but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money;
ⲅ̅⳿ⲛⲟⲩⲣⲉϥⲥⲉ ϩⲟⲩ⳿ⲟ ⲏⲣⲡ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⳿ⲛⲟⲩⲣⲉϥϯ ⲧⲉⲛϣⲓ ⲁⲛ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲟⲩⲉⲡⲓⲕⲏⲥ ⲡⲉ ⳿ⲛⲟⲩⲣⲉϥ⳿ⲙⲗⲁϧ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⳿ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁⲓϩⲁⲧ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ.
4 presiding over his own family with propriety, having his children under subjection with all gravity of behaviour:
ⲇ̅ⲉϥϥⲓ⳿ⲫⲣⲱⲟⲩϣ ⳿ⲙⲡⲉϥⲏⲓ ⳿ⲛⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ ⳿ⲉⲟⲩⲟⲛⲧⲁϥ ⳿ⲛϩⲁⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲉⲧϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩϭⲛⲉϫⲱϥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲧⲥⲉⲙⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ.
5 for if a man knoweth not how to order his own family, how shall he take proper care of the church of God?
ⲉ̅ⲓⲥϫⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲟⲩⲁⲓ ⳿ⲛ⳿ϥⲥⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲁⲛ ⳿ⲉϥⲓ⳿ⲫⲣⲱⲟⲩϣ ⳿ⲉⲡⲉϥⲏⲓ ⳿ⲙⲙⲓⲛ ⳿ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲡⲱⲥ ⳿ϥⲛⲁϥⲓ⳿ⲫⲣⲱⲟⲩϣ ⳿ⲛϯⲉⲕ⳿ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫϯ.
6 Not a new convert, lest he be puffed up, and fall into the devil’s crime.
ⲋ̅⳿ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲱϫⲓ ⳿ⲙⲃⲉⲣⲓ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ϩⲓⲛⲁ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉϥ⳿ϣⲧⲉⲙϭ ⲓⲥⲓ ⳿ⲛϩⲏⲧ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉϥϩⲉⲓ ⳿ⲉ⳿ϧⲣⲏⲓ ⲉⲩϩⲁⲡ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲇⲓ⳿ⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ.
7 He must also have a fair character from those who are without, that he may not fall into reproach, and into the snare of the devil.
ⲍ̅ⲥⲉⲙ⳿ⲡϣⲁ ⲇⲉ ⲟⲛ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⲕⲉⲙⲉⲧⲙⲉⲑⲣⲉ ⳿ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲉϥ ϣⲱⲡⲓ ϧⲁⲣⲟϥ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲏⲉⲧⲥⲁⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲛⲁ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉϥ⳿ϣⲧⲉⲙϩⲉⲓ ⳿ⲉⲟⲩϣⲱϣ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲫⲁϣ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲇⲓ⳿ⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ.
8 The deacons also in like manner must be grave, not doubletongued, not addicting themselves to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
ⲏ̅ϩⲁⲛⲇⲓ⳿ⲁⲕⲱⲛ ⲟⲛ ⳿ⲙⲡⲁⲓⲣⲏϯ ⲉⲩⲟⲓ ⳿ⲛⲥⲉⲙⲛⲟⲥ ⳿ⲉϩⲁⲛⲣⲉϥⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲃ̅ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲉ ⳿ⲛⲥⲉϯ ⳿ⲛ⳿ϩⲑⲏ ⲟⲩ ⲁⲛ ⳿ⲉⲟⲩⲙⲏϣ ⳿ⲛⲏⲣⲡ ⳿ⲉϩⲁⲛⲁϥϫⲓⲣ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲉ ⳿ⲉϩⲁⲛⲙⲁⲓϩⲏⲟⲩ ⲉϥϣⲏϣ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲉ.
9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
ⲑ̅ⲉϥⲉⲛⲧⲟⲧⲟⲩ ⳿ⲛϫⲉ ⲡⲓⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⳿ⲫⲛⲁϩϯ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲥⲩⲛⲏⲇⲉⲥⲓⲥ ⲉⲥⲧⲟⲩⲃⲏⲟⲩⲧ.
10 And let these also be first proved, and if found blameless, then let them enter on the deacon’s office.
ⲓ̅ⲛⲁⲓⲕⲉⲭⲱⲟⲩⲛⲓ ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩⲉⲣⲇⲟⲕⲓⲙⲁⲍⲓⲛ ⳿ⲙⲙⲱⲟⲩ ⳿ⲛϣⲟⲣⲡ ⲓⲧⲁ ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩϣⲉⲙϣⲓ ⲉⲩⲟⲓ ⳿ⲛⲁⲧⲁⲣⲓⲕⲓ.
11 Their wives in like manner must be grave women, not addicted to scandal, sober, faithful in all things.
ⲓ̅ⲁ̅ϩⲁⲛϩⲓ⳿ⲟⲙⲓ ⲟⲛ ⳿ⲙⲡⲁⲓⲣⲏϯ ⲉⲩⲟⲓ ⳿ⲛⲥⲉⲙⲛⲓ ⳿ⲉϩⲁⲛⲇⲓ⳿ⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲉⲩⲣⲏⲥ ⲉⲩⲉⲛϩⲟⲧ ϧⲉⲛ ϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ordering well their children and their own families.
ⲓ̅ⲃ̅ϩⲁⲛⲇⲓ⳿ⲁⲕⲱⲛ ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩϣⲱⲡⲓ ⳿ⲉⲁⲩⲉⲣϩⲁⲓ ⳿ⲛⲟⲩ⳿ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⳿ⲛⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲉⲩϥⲓ⳿ⲫⲣⲱⲟⲩϣ ⳿ⲛⲛⲟⲩϣⲏⲣⲓ ⳿ⲛⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲟⲩⲏⲓ.
13 For they who discharge the office of a deacon with propriety, acquire to themselves a respectable station in the church, and great boldness in the faith which is in Jesus Christ.
ⲓ̅ⲅ̅ⲛⲏ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲉⲧⲁⲩϣⲉⲙϣⲓ ⳿ⲛⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ ⲟⲩⲧⲱⲧⲉⲣ ⳿ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲉϥ ⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲑⲁⲙⲓⲟ ⳿ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲛⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲛⲓϣϯ ⳿ⲙⲡⲁⲣⲣⲏⲥⲓⲁ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲛⲁϩϯ ⲫⲏⲉⲧϧⲉⲛ Ⲡⲭ̅ⲥ̅ Ⲓⲏ̅ⲥ̅.
14 These things I write to thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
ⲓ̅ⲇ̅ⲛⲁⲓ ϯ⳿ⲥϧⲁⲓ ⳿ⲙⲙⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲉⲓⲉⲣϩⲉⲗⲡⲓⲥ ⳿ⲉ⳿ⲓ ϩⲁⲣⲟⲕ ⳿ⲛⲭⲱⲗⲉⲙ.
15 but should I be delayed, that thou mayest know how it behoveth thee to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the pedestal of truth.
ⲓ̅ⲉ̅ⲉϣⲱⲡ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲓϣⲁⲛⲱⲥⲕ ϩⲓⲛⲁ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉⲕ⳿ⲉⲙⲓ ⳿ⲙ⳿ⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲉⲧⲥⲉ⳿ⲙ⳿ⲡϣⲁ ⳿ⲛϣⲱⲡⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⳿ⲡⲏⲓ ⳿ⲙⲫϯ ⲉⲧⲉ ϯⲉⲕ⳿ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫϯ ⲉⲧⲟⲛϧ ⲧⲉ ⲉⲩ⳿ⲥⲧⲩⲗⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲧⲁϫⲣⲟ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⳿ⲑⲙⲏⲓ.
16 And confessedly great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified by the Spirit, seen of angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
ⲓ̅ⲋ̅ⲟⲩⲟϩ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲟⲛϩ ⳿ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲟⲩⲛⲓϣϯ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲉⲩⲥⲉⲃⲏⲥ ⲫⲏⲉⲧⲁϥⲟⲩⲟⲛϩϥ ϧⲉⲛ ⳿ⲧⲥⲁⲣⲝ ⲁⲩⲑⲁⲙⲓⲟϥ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲡ͞ⲛⲁ̅ ⲁϥⲟⲩⲟⲛϩϥ ⳿ⲉⲛⲓⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲁⲩϩⲓⲱⲓϣ ⳿ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓⲉⲑⲛⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲛⲁϩϯ ⳿ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲟⲗϥ ⳿ⲉ⳿ⲡϣⲱⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲱⲟⲩ

< 1 Timothy 3 >