1 Timothy 5
1 An elderly man, do not thou reprimand, but beseech him, as [though he were thy] father, —younger men, as brothers,
Do not reprimand an older man, but plead with him as if he were your father. Treat the young men as brothers,
2 Elderly women, as mothers, younger women, as sisters, in all chastity.
the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters — with all purity.
3 Widows, honour thou—who indeed are widows: —
Show consideration for widows — I mean those who are really widowed.
4 Howbeit, if, any widow, hath, children or grandchildren, let them be learning—first, unto their own house, to be shewing reverence, and, returns, to be making unto their progenitors; for, this, is acceptable before God;
but, if a widow has children or grand-children, let them learn to show proper regard for the members of their own family first, and to make some return to their parents; for that is pleasing in God’s sight.
5 But, she who is indeed a widow, and is left alone, hath turned her hope towards God, and is giving attendance unto the supplications and the prayers, night and day, —
As for the woman who is really widowed and left quite alone, her hopes are fixed on God, and she devotes herself to prayers and supplications night and day.
6 Whereas, she that runneth riot, while living, is, dead:
But the life of a widow who is devoted to pleasure is a living death.
7 And, these things, be giving in charge, that, without reproach, they may be;
Those are the points on which you should dwell, that there may be no call for your censure.
8 If, however, anyone, for his own, and specially them of his household, taketh not forethought, his faith, hath he denied, and is worse, than one without faith!
Any one who fails to provide for his own relations, and especially for those under his own roof, has disowned the Faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 Let, a widow, be put on the list—having become, not less than sixty years old, one man’s, wife,
A widow, when her name is added to the list, should not be less than sixty years old; she should have been a faithful wife,
10 In noble works, being well-attested; —if she hath nourished children, if she hath shewn hospitality, if, saints feet, she hath washed, if, them who were in tribulation, she hath succoured, if, in every good, work she hath followed on:
and be well spoken of for her kind actions. She should have brought up children, have shown hospitality to strangers, have washed the feet of her fellow Christians, have relieved those who were in distress, and devoted herself to every kind of good action.
11 But, younger widows, decline thou; for, as soon as they wax wanton against the Christ, to marry, are they determined, —
But you should exclude the younger widows from the list; for, when they grow restive under the yoke of the Christ, they want to marry,
12 Having, as sentence, —that, their first faith, they have set at nought;
and so they bring condemnation upon themselves for having broken their previous promise.
13 At the same time, to be idlers, are they learning, going about from house to house; and, not only idlers, but, gossips, also, and, busybodies, —saying the things they ought not,
And not only that, but they learn to be idle as they go about from house to house. Nor are they merely idle, but they also become gossips and busy-bodies, and talk of what they ought not.
14 I am minded, therefore, that, the younger ones, marry, bear children, be mistress of the house, —giving, no single occasion, unto the opposer, as a cause, of reviling;
Therefore I advise young widows to marry, bear children, and attend to their homes, and so avoid giving the enemy an opportunity for scandal.
15 For, already, some have turned aside after Satan:
There are some who have already left us, to follow Satan.
16 If any, believing woman, hath widows, let her be giving them succour, and not suffer the assembly to be burdened, —that, them who are indeed widows, it may itself succour.
Any Christian woman, who has relations who are widows, ought to relieve them and not allow them to become a burden to the Church, so that the Church may relieve those widows who are really widowed.
17 Let, the well presiding elders, of double honour, be accounted worthy, especially they who toil in discourse and teaching;
Those Officers of the Church who fill their office well should be held deserving of especial consideration, particularly those whose work lies in preaching and teaching.
18 For the scripture saith—A threshing ox, shalt thou not muzzle, and—Worthy, is the workman, of his hire.
The words of Scripture are — ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.’ and again — ‘The worker is worth his wages.’
19 Against an elder, entertain not, an accusation, except at, [the mouth of] two, or three, witnesses;
Do not receive a charge against an Officer of the Church, unless it is supported by two or three witnesses;
20 But, them who are sinning, before all, do thou reprove, that, the rest also, may have, fear: —
but rebuke offenders publicly, so that others may take warning.
21 I adjure thee, before God, and Christ Jesus, and the chosen messengers, that, these things, thou observe, apart from prejudgment, doing, nothing, by partiality.
I charge you solemnly, before God and Christ Jesus and the Chosen Angels, to carry out these directions, unswayed by prejudice, never acting with partiality.
22 Hands, suddenly, upon no one, lay, neither have fellowship with sins of strangers: thyself, keep, chaste: —
Never ordain any one hastily, and take no part in the wrong-doing of others. Keep your life pure.
23 No longer, be a water-drinker, but, of a little wine, make use, because of thy stomach and thy, frequent, sicknesses.
Do not continue to drink water only, but take a little wine on account of the weakness of your stomach, and your frequent ailments.
24 Some men’s sins, are, openly evident, leading on into judgment, with some, however, they even follow after;
There are some men whose sins are conspicuous and lead on to judgment, while there are others whose sins dog their steps.
25 In the same way, the noble works also, are openly evident, —and, they that are otherwise, cannot be hid.
In the same way noble deeds become conspicuous, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.
