1 Timothy 3
1 IT is a true saying, If a man seeks the office of a bishop, he desireth a laudable employment.
Nke a bụ okwu kwesiri ntụkwasị obi ma bụrụkwa eziokwu, bụ nke na-asị, ọ bụrụ na onye ọbụla na-achọ ọnọdụ ịbụ ụkọchukwu, ọ na-achọ ezi ọrụ kacha mma.
2 A bishop then must be irreprehensible, the husband of one wife, temperate, sagacious, respectable, hospitable, well qualified for teaching;
Ya mere onye ụkọchukwu kwesiri ịbụ onye a na-adịghị ata ụta, onye lụrụ otu nwunye, onye obi umeala, onye na-achịkọta onwe ya nke ọma, onye nwere nsọpụrụ, onye na-anabata ndị ọbịa nʼụlọ ya, nakwa onye nwere ike ikuzi ihe.
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;
Ọ gaghị abụ onye na-aṅụbiga mmanya oke, ọ gaghị abụ onye na-alụkarị ọgụ, kama ọ ga-abụ onye dị nwayọọ, onye na-ahụghị okwu na ụka nʼanya, na onye na-adịghị ahụ ego nʼanya.
4 presiding over his own family with propriety, having his children under subjection with all gravity of behaviour:
Ọ ga-abụ onye na-achịzi ezinaụlọ ya nke ọma, bụrụkwa onye na-achịkwa ụmụ ya inwe nsọpụrụ nʼụzọ ọbụla.
5 for if a man knoweth not how to order his own family, how shall he take proper care of the church of God?
(Nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na mmadụ enweghị ike chịkọtazie ezinaụlọ ya, ọ ga-esi aṅaa chịzie chọọchị Chineke?)
6 Not a new convert, lest he be puffed up, and fall into the devil’s crime.
Ọ gaghị abụ onye chegharịrị ọhụrụ, ma ọ bụghị ya, ọ ga-afụlị onwe ya elu nʼịnya isi, ma si otu a daba nʼọmụma ikpe dị ka ekwensu.
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.
Ọ ga-abụkwa onye nwere ezi ama nʼebe ndị nọ nʼezi nọ, ka ọ ghara ịdaba nʼọnọdụ ihere nakwa nʼọnya ekwensu.
8 The deacons also in like manner must be grave, not doubletongued, not addicting themselves to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
Otu ahụ kwa, ndị a họpụtara ijere chọọchị ozi aghaghị ịbụ ndị kwesiri nsọpụrụ, ndị na-enweghị ire abụọ, ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi. Ha agaghị abụ ndị na-aṅụbiga mmanya oke na ndị akpịrị ego na-agbaso uru nʼezighị ezi.
9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
Ha ga-abụ ndị ji akọnuche dị ọcha na-ejidesi eziokwu nke okwukwe anyị ike.
10 And let these also be first proved, and if found blameless, then let them enter on the deacon’s office.
Tupu a họpụta ha ịrụ ọrụ a, a ga-ebu ụzọ nwalee ha. Ọ bụrụ na ha enweghị ebubo ọbụla megide ha, mgbe ahụ, a ga-eme ha ndị na-eje ozi na chọọchị.
11 Their wives in like manner must be grave women, not addicted to scandal, sober, faithful in all things.
Otu aka ahụ kwa, ndị nwanyị kwesikwara ịbụ ndị nwere nsọpụrụ nʼụzọ ọbụla, ndị na-adịghị ebu iro nʼobi, ndị na-adịghị agba asịrị, kama ndị nwere obi umeala, na ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi nʼihe niile.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ordering well their children and their own families.
Ndị niile a ga-ahọpụta ije ozi na chọọchị aghaghị ịbụ ndị nwere naanị otu nwunye, ndị na-achịzi ụmụ ha na ezinaụlọ nke aka ha nke ọma.
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.
Nʼihi na ndị ahụ rụrụ ọrụ ije ozi ha nke ọma nwere ụgwọ ọrụ. Ụgwọ ọrụ ha bụkwa nsọpụrụ ahụ ndị ọzọ ga-asọpụrụ ha, na nkwuwa okwu ha nwere banyere okwukwe a nʼime Kraịst Jisọs.
14 These things I write to thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
Enwere m olileanya na m ga-abịa ileta gị na mgbe na-adịghị anya, ma ana m edere gị ihe ndị a.
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.
Asị na m enweghị ike bịa ọsịịsọ, ị ga-amata otu ndị mmadụ kwesiri isi bie obi nʼezinaụlọ Chineke, nke bụ nzukọ nke Chineke dị ndụ, ogidi na ntọala nke eziokwu ahụ.
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.
Karịchasịa nke a, ọ bụ ihe omimi dị ukwuu, bụ ntọala ebe ezi ịdị nsọ si walite: Ọ pụtara ihe nʼụdịdị mmadụ, Mmụọ Nsọ gosiri na ọ bụ onye ezi omume, ndị mmụọ ozi hụrụ ya, e kwusara ihe banyere ya nye mba niile, ụwa niile kwenyeere na ya, a nabatakwara ya nʼebube nke eluigwe.
