Titus, 1

1. Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

1. From Paul, servant of God, apostle of Christ Jesus, at the service of God's chosen people, so that they may believe and reach the knowledge of truth and godliness.

2. In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

2. The eternal life we are waiting for was promised from the very beginning by God who never lies,

3. But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

3. and as the appointed time had come, he made it known through the message entrusted to me by a command of God, our Savior.

4. To Titus, [mine] own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

4. Greetings to you, Titus, my true son in the faith we share. May grace and peace be with you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

5. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

5. I left you in Crete because I wanted you to put right what was defective and appoint elders in every town, following my instructions.

6. If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

6. They must be blameless, married only once, whose children are believers and not open to the charge of being immoral and rebellious.

7. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

7. Since the overseer (or bishop) is the steward of God's house, he must be beyond reproach: not proud, hot-headed, overfond of wine, quarrelsome or greedy for gain.

8. But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

8. On the contrary he must be hospitable, a lover of what is good, wise, upright, devout and self-controlled.

9. Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

9. He must hold to the message of faith just as it was taught, so that, in his turn, he may teach sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

10. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

10. You know that there are many rebellious minds, talkers of nonsense, deceivers, especially the party of the circumcised.

11. Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

11. They have to be silenced when they go around disturbing whole families, teaching for low gain what should not be taught.

12. One of themselves, [even] a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians [are] alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

12. A Cretan, one of their own prophets has said, "Cretans: always liars, wicked beasts and lazy gluttons."

13. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

13. This is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply if you want them to have a sound faith

14. Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

14. instead of heeding Jewish fables and practices of people who reject the truth.

15. Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

15. To the pure everything is pure; to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure: their minds and consciences have been defiled.

16. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

16. They pretend to know God but deny him with their deeds. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.