1 tImathiyaH 5

1 tvaM prAcInaM na bhartsaya kintu taM pitaramiva yUnazca bhrAtRniva

Do not scold an older man. Instead, exhort him as if he were a father. Exhort younger men as if they were brothers.

2 vRddhAH striyazca mAtRniva yuvatIzca pUrNazucitvEna bhaginIriva vinayasva|

Exhort older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters in all purity.

3 aparaM satyavidhavAH sammanyasva|

Honor widows, the real widows.

4 kasyAzcid vidhavAyA yadi putrAH pautrA vA vidyantE tarhi tE prathamataH svIyaparijanAn sEvituM pitrOH pratyupakarttunjca zikSantAM yatastadEvEzvarasya sAkSAd uttamaM grAhyanjca karmma|

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show honor in their own household. Let them repay their parents, because this is pleasing to God.

5 aparaM yA nArI satyavidhavA nAthahInA cAsti sA IzvarasyAzrayE tiSThantI divAnizaM nivEdanaprArthanAbhyAM kAlaM yApayati|

But a real widow is left all alone. She puts her certain hope in God. She always remains with requests and prayers both night and day.

6 kintu yA vidhavA sukhabhOgAsaktA sA jIvatyapi mRtA bhavati|

However, the woman who lives for pleasure is dead, even though she is still alive.

7 ataEva tA yad aninditA bhavEyUstadartham EtAni tvayA nidizyantAM|

Give these instructions as well, so that they may be blameless.

8 yadi kazcit svajAtIyAn lOkAn vizESataH svIyaparijanAn na pAlayati tarhi sa vizvAsAd bhraSTO 'pyadhamazca bhavati|

But if someone does not provide for his own relatives, especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

9 vidhavAvargE yasyA gaNanA bhavati tayA SaSTivatsarEbhyO nyUnavayaskayA na bhavitavyaM; aparaM pUrvvam EkasvAmikA bhUtvA

Let a woman be enrolled as a widow who is not younger than sixty, a wife of one husband.

10 sA yat zizupOSaNEnAtithisEvanEna pavitralOkAnAM caraNaprakSAlanEna kliSTAnAm upakArENa sarvvavidhasatkarmmAcaraNEna ca satkarmmakaraNAt sukhyAtiprAptA bhavEt tadapyAvazyakaM|

She must be known for good deeds, whether it is that she has cared for children, or has been hospitable to strangers, or has washed the feet of the saints, or has relieved the afflicted, or has been devoted to every good work.

11 kintu yuvatI rvidhavA na gRhANa yataH khrISTasya vaiparItyEna tAsAM darpE jAtE tA vivAham icchanti|

But as for younger widows, refuse to enroll them in the list. For when they give in to bodily desires against Christ, they want to marry.

12 tasmAcca pUrvvadharmmaM parityajya daNPanIyA bhavanti|

In this way they incur guilt because they revoke their first commitment.

13 anantaraM tA gRhAd gRhaM paryyaTantya AlasyaM zikSantE kEvalamAlasyaM nahi kintvanarthakAlApaM parAdhikAracarccAnjcApi zikSamANA anucitAni vAkyAni bhASantE|

At the same time, they also learn to be lazy and they go around from house to house. They not only become lazy, but they also talk nonsense and are busybodies, saying things they should not say.

14 atO mamEcchEyaM yuvatyO vidhavA vivAhaM kurvvatAm apatyavatyO bhavantu gRhakarmma kurvvatAnjcEtthaM vipakSAya kimapi nindAdvAraM na dadatu|

I therefore want younger women to marry, to bear children, to manage the household, and to give no opportunity for the enemy to slander us.

15 yata itaH pUrvvam api kAzcit zayatAnasya pazcAdgAminyO jAtAH|

For some have already turned aside after Satan.

16 aparaM vizvAsinyA vizvAsinO vA kasyApi parivArANAM madhyE yadi vidhavA vidyantE tarhi sa tAH pratipAlayatu tasmAt samitau bhArE 'nArOpitE satyavidhavAnAM pratipAlanaM karttuM tayA zakyatE|

If any believing woman has widows, let her help them, so that the church will not be weighed down, so that it might help the real widows.

17 yE prAnjcaH samitiM samyag adhitiSThanti vizESata IzvaravAkyEnOpadEzEna ca yE yatnaM vidadhatE tE dviguNasyAdarasya yOgyA mAnyantAM|

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work with the word and in teaching.

18 yasmAt zAstrE likhitamidamAstE, tvaM zasyamarddakavRSasyAsyaM mA badhAnEti, aparamapi kAryyakRd vEtanasya yOgyO bhavatIti|

For the scripture says, “You shall not put a muzzle on an ox while it treads the grain” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

19 dvau trIn vA sAkSiNO vinA kasyAcit prAcInasya viruddham abhiyOgastvayA na gRhyatAM|

Do not receive an accusation against an elder unless there are two or three witnesses.

20 aparaM yE pApamAcaranti tAn sarvvESAM samakSaM bhartsayasva tEnAparESAmapi bhIti rjaniSyatE|

Correct sinners before all so that the rest may be afraid.

21 aham Izvarasya prabhO ryIzukhrISTasya manOnItadivyadUtAnAnjca gOcarE tvAm idam AjnjApayAmi tvaM kasyApyanurOdhEna kimapi na kurvvana vinApakSapAtam EtAna vidhIn pAlaya|

I solemnly command you before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels, to keep these commands without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

22 kasyApi mUrddhi hastAparNaM tvarayA mAkArSIH| parapApAnAnjcAMzI mA bhava| svaM zuciM rakSa|

Place hands hastily on no one. Do not share in the sins of another person. You should keep yourself pure.

23 aparaM tavOdarapIPAyAH punaH puna durbbalatAyAzca nimittaM kEvalaM tOyaM na pivan kinjcin madyaM piva|

You should no longer drink water. Instead, you should take a little wine for the stomach and your frequent sicknesses.

24 kESAnjcit mAnavAnAM pApAni vicArAt pUrvvaM kESAnjcit pazcAt prakAzantE|

The sins of some people are openly known, and they go before them into judgment. But some sins follow later.

25 tathaiva satkarmmANyapi prakAzantE tadanyathA sati pracchannAni sthAtuM na zaknuvanti|

Likewise, some good works are openly known, but even the others cannot be hidden.