Tito 1
1 Nye, Paulo, Mawu ƒe dɔla kple Yesu Kristo ƒe apostolo na Mawu ƒe ame tiatiawo ƒe xɔse kple sidzedze nyateƒe si kplɔa ame yia Mawusosroɖa gbɔe,
I, Paul, [am writing this letter to you, Titus]. [God appointed me to be] his servant and [to be] an apostle [who represents] Jesus Christ. [God appointed me in order that I might teach] those whom God has chosen [to be his people] to [correctly] believe [in him]. He wants me to teach them the true [teachings about God], in order that they will learn to behave (in a [godly manner/] a [manner that pleases God]).
2 xɔse kple sidzedze si ku ɖe mɔkpɔkpɔ na agbe mavɔ la ŋu, nu si ŋugbe Mawu, ame si medaa alakpa o la do, hafi ɣeyiɣi mavɔwo dze egɔme, (aiōnios g166)
[As a result of my doing these things, his people] confidently expect that God will cause them to live forever. God, who never lies, promised before he created the world that [his people] would live forever. (aiōnios g166)
3 eye wòɖe eƒe nya la fia le eya ŋutɔ ƒe azãgbe la dzi, to nyanyui la gbɔgblɔ si wòtsɔ de asi nam le Mawu, mía Ɖela la ƒe gbeɖeɖe nu.
Then at the time that he [chose], he revealed [to us his] message. [Specifically], God our Savior gave this message to me, and he trusted me to proclaim it to people.
4 Mele agbalẽ sia ŋlɔm na Tito, vinye vavãtɔ le xɔse ɖeka si le mía si la nu. Amenuveve kple ŋutifafa si tso Mawu Fofo la kple Kristo Yesu mía Ɖela gbɔ la nanɔ kpli wò.
Titus, [I am writing this letter] to [you because you are like] a true son [MET] [to me because I led/helped you to] believe the same [teachings about Christ that I do]. ([I pray that/May]) [God our Father and Christ Jesus our Savior will continue to] act kindly toward you and cause you to have [inner] peace.
5 Nu si ta megblẽ wò ɖe Kreta lae nye be nàɖɔ nu siwo susɔ la ɖo, eye nàɖo hamemegãwo le du ɖe sia ɖe me abe ale si meɖoe na wò ene.
When I [asked you] to stay on Crete [island], I wanted you to do these things: [Teach the believers what they need to know so that they] can understand correctly the [spiritual] matters about which some are teaching wrongly. Appoint elders [in the congregation] in each town in the manner in which I told you to do.
6 Ele na hamemegã be wòanye mokakamanɔŋutɔ, nyɔnu ɖeka ko srɔ̃, ŋutsu si ƒe viwo lé xɔse la me ɖe asi, eye nya mele wo ŋu be wonye aglãdzelawo kple tomaɖolawo o.
[When you appoint men as elders], you must choose men whom no one can [justly] accuse of [habitually] doing what is wrong (OR, whom everyone speaks well of). Specifically, appoint men who have been faithful to their wives. Appoint men whose children faithfully obey [them. Do not appoint men whose children habitually] do all the things that their bodies urge them to do, or who refuse to obey their parents.
7 Esi wònye be wotsɔ Mawu ƒe dɔ de asi na hamemegã ta la, ele nɛ be wòanye mokakamanɔŋutɔ. Manye dadala alo ame si doa dɔmedzoe kabakaba o, manye ahatsunola o, manye ame si wɔa nu gbodogbodo alo tia viɖe ƒoɖi yome o.
Leaders [of the congregation] must be [men] who, as everyone knows, habitually do what is good (OR, [whom] no one can [justly] accuse of doing what is wrong), because it is on God’s behalf that they will direct/serve [the congregation. Specifically, they must] not be arrogant/proud. They must not easily become angry. They must not [be men who] drink much alcohol. They must not [be men who] ([act] violently/fight) [when they are angry. They must] not [be men who are] (greedy for/strongly desire to get) money.
8 Ke boŋ wòanye amedzrowɔla, ame si lɔ̃a nu nyui, ɖokuidziɖula, nu dzɔdzɔe wɔla, ame si le kɔkɔe, eye wòwɔa nu ɖe ɖoɖo nu.
Instead, they must be ones who welcome and take care of guests. They must (be devoted to/like to do) what is good. They must do [what God considers] to be right. They must be (holy/completely dedicated to God). They must be men who do what their minds tell them is right to do [and not what their emotions/desires urge them to do].
9 Ele nɛ be wòalé nyateƒenya la me ɖe asi sesĩe abe ale si wofiae ene, ale be eya hã natsɔ nu dzɔdzɔe fiafia ade dzi ƒo na ame bubuwo, eye wòatsi ɖeklemiɖelawo ƒe nya nu.
They must firmly believe in the message [about Jesus Christ] exactly as [I/we(inc)] taught it, in order that they might be able to teach [the believers] what is correct and to urge [them to follow it well. If they firmly accept our message], they will be able to convince those who oppose [what is correct that they are wrong].
10 Elabena aglãdzela geɖewo le afi ma, nya dzodzro gblɔlawo kple ameblelawo, vevietɔ ame siwo tso aʋatsotso ƒe kɔmama me.
[I say this] because there are many [people who oppose the correct teachings]. They refuse to obey people who have authority over them, they talk ([on and on/without stopping]), saying what helps no one, and they deceive people. The Jewish [believers] [MTY] [who insist we must obey all the Jewish rituals are] especially [doing this].
11 Ele be woatsi woƒe nuwɔnawo nu, elabena wole aƒekɔ blibowo dome gblẽm to nu siwo mele be woafia o la fiafia me, eye wowɔa esia ɖe viɖe ƒoɖi ta.
[You and the leaders whom you appoint] should prevent such people from teaching [the believers]. They are causing whole families to stop believing in the correct teachings [MET] by means of their teaching [people wrong ideas/teachings. They are teaching people only] in order that people will give them money, [which is very] shameful [for them to do].
12 Woawo ŋutɔ ƒe nyagblɔɖilawo dometɔ ɖeka gblɔ be, “Kretatɔwo nye alakpadalawo ɖaa, wonye lã vɔ̃ɖiwo kple nutsuɖula kuviatɔwo”
A man from Crete [island] whom [they consider] a prophet said, “[My fellow] Cretan people are always lying [to one another! They are like dangerous] wild animals [MET]! They are lazy and always eat too much food [SYN]!”
13 Ɖaseɖiɖi sia le eteƒe, eya ta ka mo na wo vevie, ale be woade blibo le xɔse la me,
The words that this man said [about the Cretan people] are [still] true, [especially about their being liars]. So, rigorously convince/show [those Cretan believers] that those [false teachings] are wrong. Tell them to [firmly] believe in the correct teachings.
14 eye womaɖo to Yudatɔwo ƒe gliwo alo aɖo to ame siwo gbe nu le nyateƒe la gbɔ ƒe sededewo o.
[Teach them that] they should no [longer] listen to the stories that the Jews (made up/invented). [Especially] they should refuse to obey those who reject our true teachings, because those people are teaching things that only come from human beings, [not from God].
15 Ame siwo dza la, nu sia nu le dzadzɛe na wo, ke ame siwo me gbegblẽ le, eye womexɔe se o la, naneke mele dzadzɛe le wo gbɔ o. Le nyateƒe me la, woƒe susu kple dzitsinya katã me do viviti.
[Believers should reject] what they teach about food, [because] no [food that we eat] can make us unacceptable to God if we are pure [in our] ([inner beings/hearts]). But if people are evil and they do not trust [in Christ Jesus], there is no [ritual] that can make them acceptable to God. Such people’s way of thinking has been ruined {Such people have ruined their way of thinking}, and they do not even feel guilty [when they do what is evil].
16 Wogblɔna be yewonya Mawu, gake wogbea nu le egbɔ to woƒe nuwɔnawo me. Wonye ŋunyɔnuwo kple tomaɖolawo, eye womedze na nu nyui aɖeke wɔwɔ o.
Even though they claim/say that they know God, by what they do they [show that they] do not know (God/his true teaching). They do not obey [God], and they are unable to do anything that he considers to be good. [So God considers them to be absolutely] disgusting!
