1 Timothy 3
1 A feithful word. If ony man desirith a bishopriche, he desirith a good werk.
This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work.
2 Therfor it bihoueth a byschop to be with out repreef, the hosebonde of o wijf, sobre, prudent, chast, vertewous, holdinge hospitalite, a techere;
The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
3 not youun myche to wyn, not a smytere, but temperat, not ful of chiding, not coueitouse, wel reulinge his hous,
not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4 and haue sones suget with al chastite;
one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
5 for if ony man kan not gouerne his house, hou schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not new conuertid to the feith,
(for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?)
6 lest he be borun vp in to pride, and falle in to doom of the deuel.
not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7 For it bihoueth hym to haue also good witnessing of hem that ben with outforth, that he falle not in to repreef, and in to the snare of the deuel.
Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Also it bihoueth dekenes to be chast, not double tungid, not youun myche to wyn, not suynge foul wynnyng;
Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money,
9 that han the mysterie of feith in clene conscience.
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 But be thei preued first, and mynystre so, hauynge no cryme.
Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.
11 Also it bihoueth wymmen to be chast, not bacbitinge, sobre, feithful in alle thingis.
Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.
12 Dekenes be hosebondis of o wijf; whiche gouerne wel her sones and her housis.
Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For thei that mynystren wel, schulen gete a good degre to hem silf, and myche triste in the feith, that is in Crist Jhesu.
For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 Sone Timothe, Y write to thee these thingis, hopinge that Y schal come soon to thee;
These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly,
15 but if Y tarie, that thou wite, hou it bihoueth thee to lyue in the hous of God, that is the chirche of lyuynge God, a pilere and sadnesse of treuthe.
but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And opynli it is a greet sacrament of pitee, that thing that was schewid in fleisch, it is iustified in spirit, it apperid to aungels, it is prechid to hethene men, it is bileuyd in the world, it is takun vp in glorie.
Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached amongst the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
