Day 282 of 365

¹Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brothers;

²the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.

³Honor widows who are widows indeed.

⁴But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God.

⁵Now she who is a widow indeed, and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in petitions and prayers night and day.

⁶But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives.

⁷Also command these things, that they may be without reproach.

⁸But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹Let no one be enrolled as a widow under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man,

¹⁰being approved by good works, if she has brought up children, if she has been hospitable to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, and if she has diligently followed every good work.

¹¹But refuse younger widows, for when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry;

¹²having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge.

¹³Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

¹⁴I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household, and give no occasion to the adversary for reviling.

¹⁵For already some have turned aside after Satan.

¹⁶If any woman who believes has widows, let her assist them, and do not let the church be burdened; that it might help those widows who are truly in need.

¹⁷Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.

¹⁸For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain." And, "The laborer is worthy of his wages."

¹⁹Do not receive an accusation against an elder, except at the word of two or three witnesses.

²⁰Those who sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.

²¹I command you in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.

²²Lay hands hastily on no one, neither be a participant in other men's sins. Keep yourself pure.

²³Be no longer a drinker of water only, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.

²⁴Some men's sins are evident, preceding them to judgment, and some also follow later.

²⁵In the same way also there are good works that are obvious, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.

¹Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed.

²Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

³If anyone teaches a different doctrine, and does not consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness,

⁴he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,

⁵constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain.

⁷For we brought nothing into the world, so neither can we carry anything out.

⁸But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.

⁹But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.

¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

¹¹But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

¹²Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.

¹³I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession,

¹⁴that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

¹⁵which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

¹⁶who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.

¹⁷Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy;

¹⁸that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

¹⁹laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of that which is truly life.

²⁰Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called;

²¹which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with you.

¹Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

²in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began;

³but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior;

⁴to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

⁵I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you;

⁶if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.

⁷For the overseer must be blameless, as God's steward; not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;

⁸but given to hospitality, as a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled;

⁹holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.

¹⁰For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

¹¹whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain's sake.

¹²One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons."

¹³This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

¹⁴not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

¹⁵To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

¹⁶They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

¹But say the things which fit sound doctrine,

²that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober minded, sound in faith, in love, and in patience:

³and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;

⁴that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵to be sober minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that God's word may not be blasphemed.

⁶Likewise, exhort the younger men to be sober minded;

⁷in all things showing yourself an example of good works. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness,

⁸and a sound message that cannot be condemned; that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us.

⁹Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing in all things; not contradicting;

¹⁰not stealing, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things.

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

¹²instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world;

¹³looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ;

¹⁴who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

¹⁵Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no man despise you.