1 Timothy

5 An elderly man do not thou reprimand, But beseech him as [though he were thy] father,—Younger men as brothers,

2 Elderly women as mothers, Younger women as sisters, in all chastity.

3 Widows honour thou—who indeed are widows:—

4 Howbeit if any widow hath children or grandchildren Let them be learning—first unto their own house to be shewing reverence And returns to be making unto their progenitors; For this is acceptable before God;

5 But she who is indeed a widow and is left alone Hath turned her hope towards God, And is giving attendance unto the supplications and the prayers night and day,—

6 Whereas she that runneth riot while living is dead:

7 And these things be giving in charge That without reproach they may be;

8 If however anyone for his own and specially them of his household taketh not forethought His faith hath he denied And is worse than one without faith!

9 Let a widow be put on the list—Having become not less than sixty years old,—One man’s wife,

10 In noble works being well-attested;—If she hath nourished children, If she hath shewn hospitality, If saints’ feet she hath washed, If them who were in tribulation she hath succoured, If in every good work she hath followed on:

11 But younger widows decline thou; For as soon as they wax wanton against the Christ To marry are they determined,—

12 Having as sentence—That their first faith they have set at nought;

13 At the same time to be idlers are they learning, Going about from house to house; And not only idlers but gossips also, and busybodies,—Saying the things they ought not.

14 I am minded therefore that the younger ones marry, bear children, be mistress of the house,—Giving no single occasion unto the opposer as a cause of reviling;

15 For already some have turned aside after Satan:

16 If any believing woman hath widows Let her be giving them succour And not suffer the assembly to be burdened,—That them who are indeed widows it may itself succour.

17 Let the well presiding elders of double honour be accounted worthy, Especially they who toil in discourse and teaching;

18 For the scripture saith—A threshing ox shalt thou not muzzle, And—Worthy is the workman of his hire.

19 Against an elder entertain not an accusation except at [the mouth of] two or three witnesses;

20 But them who are sinning before all do thou reprove, That the rest also may have fear:—

21 I adjure thee before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen messengers That these things thou observe apart from prejudgment, doing nothing by partiality.

22 Hands suddenly upon no one lay, Neither have fellowship with sins of strangers: Thyself keep chaste:—

23 No longer be a water-drinker, But of a little wine make use Because of thy stomach and thy frequent sicknesses.

24 Some men’s sins are openly evident leading on into judgment, With some however they even follow after;

25 In the same way the noble works also are openly evident,—And they that are otherwise cannot be hid.