Titus 1

1 PAUL, a servant of God, and a legate of Jesus the Messiah; according to the faith of the elect of God, and the knowledge of the truth which is in the fear of God,

Paul, a bondservant of God and an Apostle of Jesus Christ for building up the faith of God's own people and spreading a full knowledge of the truths of religion,

2 concerning the hope of eternal life, which the veracious God promised before the times of the world; (aiōnios g166)

in hope of the Life of the Ages which God, who is never false to His word, promised before the commencement of the Ages. (aiōnios g166)

3 and in due time he hath manifested his word, by means of our announcement, which was confided to me by the command of God our Life-giver;

And at the appointed time He clearly made known His Message in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Saviour:

4 to Titus, a real son after the common faith: Grace and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus the Messiah, our Life-giver.

To Titus my own true child in our common faith. May grace and peace be granted to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.

5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou mightest regulate the things deficient, and establish elders in every city, as I directed thee:

I have left you behind in Crete in order that you may set right the things which still require attention, and appoint Elders in every town, as I directed you to do;

6 him who is blameless, who is the husband of one wife, and hath believing children, who are no revellers, nor ungovernable in sensuality.

wherever there is a man of blameless life, true to his one wife, having children who are themselves believers and are free from every reproach of profligacy or of stubborn self-will.

7 For an elder ought to be blameless, as the steward of God; and not be self-willed, nor irascible, nor excessive in wine, nor with hands swift to strike, nor a lover of base gains.

For, as God's steward, a minister must be of blameless life, not over-fond of having his own way, not a man of a passionate temper nor a hard drinker, not given to blows nor greedy of gain,

8 But he should be a lover of strangers, and a lover of good deeds, and be sober, upright, kind-hearted, and restraining himself from evil passions;

but hospitable to strangers, a lover of goodness, sober-minded, upright, saintly, self-controlled;

9 and studious of the doctrine of the word of faith, that he may be able by his wholesome teaching both to console, and to rebuke them that are contentious.

holding fast to the faithful Message which he has received, so that he may be well qualified both to encourage others with sound teaching and to reply successfully to opponents.

10 For many are unsubmissive, and their discourses vain; and they mislead the minds of people, especially such as are of the circumcision.

For there are many that spurn authority--idle, talkative and deceitful persons, who, for the most part, are adherents of the Circumcision.

11 The mouth of these ought to be stopped: they corrupt many families; and they teach what they ought not, for the sake of base gains.

You must stop the mouths of such men, for they overthrow the faith of whole families, teaching what they ought not, just for the sake of making money.

12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, The Cretans are always mendacious, evil beasts, idle bellies.

One of their own number--a Prophet who is a countryman of theirs--has said, "Cretans are always liars, dangerous animals, idle gluttons."

13 And this testimony is true. Therefore chide them sharply; that they may be sound in the faith,

This testimony is true. Therefore sternly denounce them, that they may be robust in their faith,

14 and may not throw themselves into Jewish fables, and into the precepts of men who hate the truth.

and not give attention to Jewish legends and the maxims of men who turn their backs on the truth.

15 For to the pure, every thing is pure; but to them who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but their understanding is defiled, and their conscience.

To the pure everything is pure; but to the polluted and unbelieving nothing is pure, but on the contrary their very minds and consciences are polluted.

16 And they profess that they know God, but in their works they deny him; and they are odious, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobates.

They profess to know God; but in their actions they disown Him, and are detestable and disobedient men, and for any good work are utterly useless.