Titus 1

1 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,

Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect and a real knowledge of the Truth that accords with godliness,

2 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)

in hope of eternal life—which life God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages of time (aiōnios g166)

3 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:

but has manifested by a proclamation of His Word at chosen times, which word was entrusted to me by the command of our Savior God;

4 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.

to Titus, a true son in a common faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from Father God and Sovereign Jesus Christ, our Savior.

5 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;

I left you in Crete for this reason, that you should set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every town as I directed you

6 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.

—if a man is blameless, a one-woman man, having children who believe and who are not open to the charge of being wild or disobedient.

7 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,

Because as an administrator under God the overseer must be blameless; not self-willed, not hotheaded, not given to wine, not a bully, not avaricious;

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

but rather hospitable, a lover of what is good, prudent, just, holy, disciplined;

9 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.

holding fast the trustworthy Word as taught, so that he may be competent both to exhort with the sound doctrine and to correct those who oppose it.

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

Because there really are lots of rebels, loudmouths and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group,

11 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.

who must be silenced—they are ruining whole households, teaching things that they ought not, and for dishonest gain!

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

One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

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

This testimony is true. Therefore correct them rigorously, that they may be sound in the faith,

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

not paying attention to Jewish fables or to commands of men who are rejecting the truth.

15 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.

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; in fact, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

16 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.

They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him, being detestable, disobedient and disqualified for any good work.