1 Timothy 5:1–25

¹Do not severely criticize an older man. To the contrary, entreat him as a father, younger men as brothers,²older women as mothers, younger women as sisters with all chasteness.

³Honor widows that are actually widows.⁴But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn first to practice godly devotion in their own household and to keep paying a due compensation to their parents and grandparents, for this is acceptable in God’s sight.⁵Now the woman who is actually a widow and left destitute has put her hope in God and persists in supplications and prayers night and day.⁶But the one that goes in for sensual gratification is dead though she is living.⁷So keep on giving these commands, that they may be irreprehensible.⁸Certainly if anyone does not provide for those who are his own, and especially for those who are members of his household, he has disowned the faith and is worse than a person without faith.

⁹Let a widow be put on the list who has become not less than sixty years old, a wife of one husband,¹⁰having a witness borne to her for fine works, if she reared children, if she entertained strangers, if she washed the feet of holy ones, if she relieved those in tribulation, if she diligently followed every good work.

¹¹On the other hand, turn down younger widows, for when their sexual impulses have come between them and the Christ, they want to marry,¹²having a judgment because they have disregarded their first [expression of] faith.¹³At the same time they also learn to be unoccupied, gadding about to the houses; yes, not only unoccupied, but also gossipers and meddlers in other people’s affairs, talking of things they ought not.¹⁴Therefore I desire the younger widows to marry, to bear children, to manage a household, to give no inducement to the opposer to revile.¹⁵Already, in fact, some have been turned aside to follow Satan.¹⁶If any believing woman has widows, let her relieve them, and let the congregation not be under the burden. Then it can relieve those who are actually widows.

¹⁷Let the older men who preside in a fine way be reckoned worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching.¹⁸For the scripture says: “You must not muzzle a bull when it threshes out the grain”; also: “The workman is worthy of his wages.”¹⁹Do not admit an accusation against an older man, except only on the evidence of two or three witnesses.²⁰Reprove before all onlookers persons who practice sin, that the rest also may have fear.²¹I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels to keep these things without prejudgment, doing nothing according to a biased leaning.

²²Never lay your hands hastily upon any man; neither be a sharer in the sins of others; preserve yourself chaste.

²³Do not drink water any longer, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent cases of sickness.

²⁴The sins of some men are publicly manifest, leading directly to judgment, but as for other men [their sins] also become manifest later.²⁵In the same way also the fine works are publicly manifest and those that are otherwise cannot be kept hid.