1 Timotheo 3
1 Ũhoro ũyũ nĩguo wa kwĩhokeka: Atĩ mũndũ o wothe angĩĩrirĩria gũtuĩka mũrori wa maũndũ ma kanitha, mũndũ ũcio nĩerirĩirie wĩra wa bata.
How true is that saying! When a man aspires to be a Presiding-Officer in the Church, he is ambitious for a noble task.
2 Rĩu-rĩ, mũrori wa maũndũ ma kanitha no nginya akorwo atarĩ na ũcuuke, na akorwo nĩ mũthuuri wa mũtumia ũmwe. No nginya akorwo arĩ mũhooreri, na ũũĩ kwĩgirĩrĩria merirĩria ma mwĩrĩ, na mũndũ mũtĩĩku, na mũndũ ũnyiitaga andũ ũgeni, na ũngĩhota kũrutana maũndũ.
The Presiding-Officer should be a man of blameless character; a faithful husband; living a temperate, discreet, and well-ordered life; hospitable, and a skilful teacher,
3 No ndagakorwo arĩ mũrĩĩu, kana arĩ wa ngũĩ, no akorwo arĩ mũhooreri, na mũndũ ũtarĩ wa mbaara, na ũtarĩ thuti ya mbeeca.
not addicted to drink or brawling, but of a forbearing and peaceable disposition, and not a lover of money;
4 No nginya akorwo ahotete gwatha mũciĩ wake wega, na one atĩ ciana ciake nĩimwathĩkagĩra na gĩtĩĩo kĩrĩa kĩagĩrĩire.
he should be a man who rules his own household well, and whose children are kept under control and are well-behaved.
5 (Mũndũ angĩkorwo ndangĩhota gwatha mũciĩ wake mwene-rĩ, angĩhota atĩa kũmenyerera kanitha wa Ngai?)
If a man does not know how to rule his own household, how can he take charge of the Church of God?
6 Ningĩ ndagakorwo arĩ mũndũ mwerũ wĩtĩkio-inĩ ndakae kũgĩa na mwĩtĩĩo, nake atuĩrwo ciira ta ũrĩa mũcukani aatuĩrĩirwo.
The Presiding-Officer should not be a recent convert, that he may not be blinded by pride and fall under the same condemnation as the Devil.
7 Ningĩ no nginya akorwo arĩ na ngumo njega kũrĩ andũ arĩa matarĩ a thiritũ iitũ, nĩgeetha ndagatuĩke wa gũconorithio kana agwe mũtego-inĩ wa mũcukani.
He should also be well spoken of by outsiders, that he may not incur censure and so fall into the snares of the Devil.
8 Nao ateithĩrĩria a kanitha, nĩmagĩrĩirwo makoragwo marĩ andũ a gũtĩĩka na ehokeku, matigatuĩke anyui a ndibei mũno, na makorwo matarĩ a gũkorokera indo na njĩra ĩtagĩrĩire.
So, too, Assistant-Officers should be serious and straightforward men, not given to taking much drink or to questionable money-making,
9 No nginya marũmie ũhoro-ũrĩa-wa-ma wa wĩtĩkio ũrĩa mũrikĩru marĩ na thamiri itarĩ na mwĩcuuko.
but men who hold the deep truths of the Faith and have a clear conscience.
10 Nao mambe magerio; na thuutha ũcio marekwo matuĩke ateithĩrĩria a maũndũ ma kanitha maakorwo matarĩ na ũcuuke.
They should be tested first, and only appointed to their Office if no objection is raised against them.
11 O ũndũ ũmwe, nao atumia ao nĩmakorwo marĩ atumia a gũtĩĩka, matigakorwo marĩ andũ a gũcambania, no makorwo matarĩ arĩĩu na matuĩke a kwĩhokeka maũndũ-inĩ mothe.
It should be the same with the women. They should be serious, not gossips, sober, and trustworthy in all respects.
12 Mũteithĩrĩria wa kanitha no nginya akorwo arĩ mũthuuri wa mũtumia ũmwe, na no nginya akorwo ahotete gwatha ciana ciake na mũciĩ wake wega.
Assistant-Officers should be faithful husbands, and men who rule their children and their households well.
13 Arĩa matungatĩte wega nĩmegĩagĩra na ngumo njega, na makomĩrĩria mũno ũhoro-inĩ wa wĩtĩkio wao ũrĩa wa gwĩtĩkia Kristũ Jesũ.
Those who have filled that post with honour gain for themselves an honourable position, as well as great confidence through the faith that they place in Christ Jesus.
14 O na gũkorwo ndĩ na mwĩhoko atĩ nĩndĩrĩũka kũrĩ we narua-rĩ, ndĩrakwandĩkĩra maũndũ maya nĩgeetha,
I am writing this to you, though I hope that I shall come to see you before long;
15 ingĩaga gũũka narua, ũmenye ũrĩa andũ magĩrĩirwo nĩgũikaraga marĩ thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya Ngai, na nĩyo kanitha wa Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ muoyo, naguo nĩguo gĩtugĩ na mũthingi mũrũmu wa kũnyiitĩrĩra ũhoro-ũrĩa-wa-ma.
but in case I should be delayed, I want you to know what your conduct ought to be in the Household of God, which is the Church of the Living God — the pillar and stay of the Truth.
16 Na hatarĩ nganja, ũhoro wa kwĩyamũrĩra Ngai nĩ hitho nene ma, atĩ: We oonanirio arĩ na mwĩrĩ, agĩtuuo mũthingu nĩ Roho, akĩonwo nĩ araika, na ũhoro wake ũkĩhunjio kũrĩ ndũrĩrĩ ciothe, agĩĩtĩkio nĩ andũ a gũkũ thĩ, na akĩamũkĩrwo riiri-inĩ kũrĩa igũrũ.
Yes, and confessedly wonderful are the deep truths of our religion; for — ‘He was revealed in our nature, Pronounced righteous in spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Taken up into glory.’
