Titus 1

1 From Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, on behalf of the faith of God’s chosen people, and their knowledge of that truth which makes for godliness

Paul, a bondman of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of the chosen of God, and the knowledge of truth according to piety,

2 – and is based on the hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began, (aiōnios g166)

in hope of eternal life, which the non-lying God promised before times eternal, (aiōnios g166)

3 and has revealed at his own time in his message, with the preaching of which I was entrusted by the command of God our Saviour.

but in his own times he made known his word by preaching, which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,

4 To Titus, my true child in our shared faith: May God, the Father, and Christ Jesus, our Saviour, bless you and give you peace.

to Titus, a genuine child according to the common faith: Grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

5 My reason for leaving you in Crete was that you might put in order what had been left unfinished, and appoint church elders in the various towns, as I myself directed you.

I left thee behind in Crete on account of this: That thou should set in order the things lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded thee,

6 They are to be of irreproachable character, faithful to their partners, whose children are believers in Christ and have never been open to the charge of being wild or unruly.

if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having believing children, not with an accusation of debauchery or insubordinate.

7 For a supervisor, as God’s steward, ought to be of blameless character – not arrogant or quick-tempered, not given to drunkeness, violence or shady money-making.

For the overseer must be blameless as a steward of God, not self-willed, not prone to anger, not a drunkard, not a fighter, not greedy of base gain,

8 Instead, they should be hospitable, love what is good, self-controlled, upright, people of holy life and disciplined,

but a lover of strangers, a lover of good, serious minded, just, devout, self-controlled,

9 holding firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught – so that they may be able to encourage others by sound teaching, as well as to refute those who contradict it.

holding firm the faithful word according to the teaching, so that he may also be able to exhort by the sound doctrine, and to correct those who contradict.

10 For there are many undisciplined persons who lead others astray with their nonsense, especially those of the group advocating the necessity of circumcision.

For there are also many insubordinate men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those from circumcision,

11 They need to be kept quiet as they disrupt whole households by teaching what they ought not to teach, simply to make shameful financial gain.

who must be muzzled, men who subvert whole houses, teaching things that they ought not, for sake of ugly profit.

12 It was a Cretan – one of their own prophets – who said: “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.” This statement is true.

A certain man of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy bellies.

13 Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith,

This testimony is true, because of which reason, reprove them harshly, so that they may be sound in the faith,

14 and may pay no attention to Jewish legends, or to the directions of those who turn their backs on the truth.

not giving heed to Jewish myths, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

15 To those whose minds are pure, all things are ritually pure, but to those whose minds are tainted and unbelieving nothing is pure, as their minds and consciences are alike polluted.

Truly to the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable and disobedient and useless for any good work.

They profess to know God, but in their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and worthless for every good work.