1 Timothy 3

1 This is a faithful saying: If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.

A feithful word. If ony man desirith a bishopriche, he desirith a good werk.

2 The overseer, therefore, must be beyond criticism, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, good at teaching;

Therfor it bihoueth a byschop to be with out repreef, the hosebonde of o wijf, sobre, prudent, chast, vertewous, holdinge hospitalite, a techere;

3 not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money;

not youun myche to wyn, not a smytere, but temperat, not ful of chiding, not coueitouse, wel reulinge his hous,

4 one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;

and haue sones suget with al chastite;

5 (but if someone does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)

for if ony man kan not gouerne his house, hou schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not new conuertid to the feith,

6 not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

lest he be borun vp in to pride, and falle in to doom of the deuel.

7 Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into disgrace and the trap of the devil.

For it bihoueth hym to haue also good witnessing of hem that ben with outforth, that he falle not in to repreef, and in to the snare of the deuel.

8 Deacons, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not devoted to a lot of wine, not greedy for money;

Also it bihoueth dekenes to be chast, not double tungid, not youun myche to wyn, not suynge foul wynnyng;

9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

that han the mysterie of feith in clene conscience.

10 Let them also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, if they are blamesless.

But be thei preued first, and mynystre so, hauynge no cryme.

11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

Also it bihoueth wymmen to be chast, not bacbitinge, sobre, feithful in alle thingis.

12 Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Dekenes be hosebondis of o wijf; whiche gouerne wel her sones and her housis.

13 For those who have served well as deacons gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

For thei that mynystren wel, schulen gete a good degre to hem silf, and myche triste in the feith, that is in Crist Jhesu.

14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;

Sone Timothe, Y write to thee these thingis, hopinge that Y schal come soon to thee;

15 but if I wait long, that you may know how people ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

but if Y tarie, that thou wite, hou it bihoueth thee to lyue in the hous of God, that is the chirche of lyuynge God, a pilere and sadnesse of treuthe.

16 Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: He was revealed in the flesh, justified by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

And opynli it is a greet sacrament of pitee, that thing that was schewid in fleisch, it is iustified in spirit, it apperid to aungels, it is prechid to hethene men, it is bileuyd in the world, it is takun vp in glorie.