Titus 1:1-16
1 Paul, a slave+ of God and an apostle+ of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God’s chosen+ ones and the accurate knowledge+ of the truth+ which accords with godly devotion+
2 upon the basis of a hope of the everlasting life+ which God, who cannot lie,+ promised before times long lasting,*+
3 whereas in his own due times he made his word manifest in the preaching* with which I was entrusted,+ under command of our Savior,+ God;*
4 to Titus, a genuine child+ according to a faith shared in common:
May there be undeserved kindness and peace from God [the] Father+ and Christ Jesus our Savior.+
5 For this reason I left you in Crete,+ that you might correct the things that were defective and might make appointments+ of older men* in city after city, as I gave you orders;+
6 if there is any man free from accusation,+ a husband of one wife,+ having believing children that were not under a charge of debauchery nor unruly.+
7 For an overseer* must be free from accusation+ as God’s steward,*+ not self-willed,+ not prone to wrath,+ not a drunken brawler,+ not a smiter,+ not greedy of dishonest gain,+
8 but hospitable,*+ a lover of goodness, sound in mind,+ righteous, loyal,+ self-controlled,+
9 holding firmly to the faithful word as respects his [art of] teaching,+ that he may be able both to exhort by the teaching that is healthful+ and to reprove+ those who contradict.
10 For there are many unruly men,* profitless talkers,+ and deceivers of the mind, especially those men who adhere to the circumcision.+
11 It is necessary to shut the mouths of these, as these very men keep on subverting entire households+ by teaching things they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain.+
12 A certain one of them, their own prophet,* said: “Creʹtans are always liars, injurious+ wild beasts, unemployed gluttons.”*
13 This witness is true. For this very cause keep on reproving them with severity,+ that they may be healthy+ in the faith,
14 paying no attention to Jewish fables+ and commandments of men+ who turn themselves away from the truth.+
15 All things are clean to clean [persons].+ But to [persons] defiled+ and faithless+ nothing is clean, but both their minds and their consciences+ are defiled.
16 They publicly declare they know God,+ but they disown him by their works,+ because they are detestable and disobedient and not approved+ for good work of any sort.
Footnotes
^ Or, “promised long ago.”
^ Or, “manifest in the public announcement.”
^ Lit., “of the Savior of us, God.” Gr., tou so·teʹros he·monʹ The·ouʹ; Lat., Sal·va·toʹris noʹstri Deʹi; J17,22(Heb.), ha·ʼElo·himʹ Moh·shi·ʽeʹnu.
^ Or, “appoint elders.”
^ “Overseer.” Gr., e·piʹsko·pon; J17(Heb.), pheqidhʹ.
^ Or, “house manager.” Lit., “house administrator.” Gr., oi·ko·noʹmon; Lat., di·spen·sa·toʹrem; J17(Heb.), keso·khenʹ, “as steward.”
^ Or, “a lover of strangers.”
^ “Unruly men.” Lit., “not self-subjecting (ones).”
^ Epimenides, a Cretan poet of the sixth cent. B.C.E.
^ “Unemployed gluttons.” Lit., “ineffective bellies.”
