1 Timothy 5
1 Never administer a sharp reprimand to a man older than yourself; but entreat him as if he were your father, and the younger men as brothers;
Do not rebuke/scold older men. Instead, exhort/advise them [respectfully] as you would [exhort/advise] your father. Exhort/advise younger men [gently] as you would exhort/advise your brothers.
2 the elder women too as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, with perfect modesty.
[Exhort/advise] older women [respectfully] as [you would exhort/advise] your mother. [Exhort/advise] younger women [gently] as [you would exhort/advise] your sisters; but you must act in a completely proper way as you do that.
3 Honour widows who are really in need.
[Make sure that the congregation] takes care of widows who have no one to care for them.
4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn first to show piety towards their own homes and to prove their gratitude to their parents; for this is well pleasing in the sight of God.
If a widow has children or grandchildren, these [children or grandchildren] should learn that they are to take care of their own family first. By doing that they can repay their parents and grandparents for all that they did for them when they were young, because doing that pleases God.
5 A widow who is really in need, friendless and desolate, has her hopes fixed on God, and continues at her supplications and prayers, night and day;
The widows who are really alone and have no one [to help them] confidently expect that God [will help them]. So night and day they pray, earnestly asking [DOU] [God that he will help them and others].
6 but a pleasure-loving widow is dead even while still alive.
But widows who just want to have a lot of pleasure are [spiritually] [MET] dead, although they are [physically] alive.
7 Press these facts upon them, so that they may live lives free from reproach.
And tell [the congregation] that [the children or grandchildren should do] these things in order that [no one] can (criticize the believers/say that the believers are doing anything that is wrong).
8 But if a man makes no provision for those dependent on him, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is behaving worse than an unbeliever.
If anyone does not take care of those who live in his own house, and especially if he does not take care of his own family, he has (denied/quit believing) what we believe and [we should consider that] he is worse than a person who does not believe [in Christ].
9 No widow is to be put on the roll who is under sixty years of age.
[You have a list of] widows [who will do work for the congregation and receive money]. Put women’s names on the list [only if] they are more than 60 years old, and if they were faithful to their husbands.
10 She must have been true to her one husband, and well reported of for good deeds, as having brought up children, received strangers hospitably, washed the feet of God's people, given relief to the distressed, and devoted herself to good works of every kind.
[Put women’s names on that list only] if it is known that they have wholeheartedly done every kind of good deed, if they have helped [children] who were afflicted/suffering, if they have (brought up/cared for) their children [properly/well], if they have welcomed and cared for guests, and if they have humbly served [MTY] other believers.
11 But the younger widows you must not enrol; for as soon as they begin to chafe against the yoke of Christ, they want to marry,
As for younger widows, do not put their names on that list, because they [promise to do work for the congregation, but instead of doing that, they usually] want to marry [again] (OR, marry an unbeliever) when they have a strong desire to get married.
12 and they incur disapproval for having broken their original vow.
If that happens, they may become guilty of not having done what they had promised [to do for the congregation] (OR, promised [Christ that they would do].)
13 And at the same time they also learn to be idle as they go round from house to house; and they are not only idle, but are gossips also and busybodies, speaking of things that ought not to be spoken of.
In addition, they [generally] become lazy. Specifically, as they [just] go about from house to house, they also begin (to gossip/to talk about people) and to meddle in other people’s affairs, saying what they should not say.
14 I would therefore have the younger women marry, bear children, rule in domestic matters, and furnish the Adversary with no excuse for slander.
So I advise that [instead of putting the names of younger widows on the list, they] marry again, that they bear/have children, that they manage their homes [well], and that they do nothing for which an enemy can say bad things about [them].
15 For already some of them have gone astray, following Satan.
[I say this] because some [younger widows] have stopped [obeying Christ] in order to obey Satan.
16 If a believing woman has widows dependent on her, she should relieve their wants, and save the Church from being burdened--so that the Church may relieve the widows who are really in need.
If any woman who believes [in Christ] has widows [in her household/family], she should take care of them. The congregation should not be burdened by having {She should not depend on the congregation} to take care of their [needs]. The congregation should take care of the widows who truly [have no one to care for them].
17 Let the Elders who perform their duties wisely and well be held worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching.
[Each congregation] should pay well the elders who lead [well. They should] greatly honor them, especially those who preach and those who teach.
18 For the Scripture says, "You are not to muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain;" and the workman deserves his pay.
[Long ago Moses] wrote in the Scriptures, “While an ox is threshing [grain], you must not tie its mouth [so that it cannot eat the grain],” and [Jesus said], “[People] should pay those who work [for their benefit].” [So we know that congregations should support their leaders].
19 Never entertain an accusation against an Elder except on the evidence of two of three witnesses.
When some person accuses an elder [about doing wrong], accept what he says only if there are [at least] two or three persons who (testify/say [that]) [they saw him do that wrong].
20 Those who persist in sin reprove in the presence of all, so that it may also be a warning to the rest.
But as for any [elder] who repeatedly sins, rebuke him before the whole congregation, in order that the rest [of the elders] will be afraid [to sin].
21 I solemnly call upon you, in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels, to carry out these instructions of mine without prejudice, and to do nothing from partiality.
I solemnly tell you that [as you keep in mind that] God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels know everything that you do, obey these commands [about elders]! [As you consider what others say about an elder doing wrong], do not easily/quickly decide that what they say is true. And treat them all equally.
22 Do not ordain any one hastily; and do not be a partaker in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
Do not be in a hurry to put your hands on a man ([to set him apart/to appoint him]) [as an elder. Wait until you have examined him to see how he conducts his life], because [God will consider] that you are responsible if [you approve] a person who sins, saying that he should [become an elder]. Keep your life pure in every way.
23 (No longer be a water-drinker; but take a little wine for the sake of your digestion and your frequent ailments.)
[And Timothy], no longer drink [only] water, but instead, drink a little wine [also], because [that may help to cure] your stomach’s frequent illnesses.
24 The sins of some men are evident to the world, leading the way to your estimate of their characters, but the sins of others lag behind.
[I tell you not] ([to set apart/appoint]) [elders hastily, without seeing how they conduct their lives, because] some people [sin secretly], so that it is not known what they have done until after someone examines them (OR, before God judges them). But some people sin openly, so that people know what they have done before anyone examines them.
25 So also the right actions of some are evident to the world, and those that are not cannot remain for ever out of sight.
Similarly, although [some people] do good things openly, with the result that people know what they have done, some people [do good things secretly], yet the good things that they have done cannot remain secret either.
