1 Paul, bondman of God, and apostle of Jesus Christ according to {the} faith of God's elect, and knowledge of {the} truth which {is} according to piety;
2 in {the} hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages of time,
3 but has manifested in its own due season his word, in {the} proclamation with which *I* have been entrusted, according to {the} commandment of our Saviour God;
4 to Titus, my own child according to {the} faith common {to us}: Grace and peace from God {the} Father, and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
5 For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou mightest go on to set right what remained {unordered}, and establish elders in each city, as *I* had ordered thee:
6 if any one be free from all charge {against him}, husband of one wife, having believing children not accused of excess or unruly.
7 For the overseer must be free from all charge {against him} as God's steward; not headstrong, not passionate, not disorderly through wine, not a striker, not seeking gain by base means;
8 but hospitable, a lover of goodness, discreet, just, pious, temperate,
9 clinging to the faithful word according to the doctrine taught, that he may be able both to encourage with sound teaching and refute gainsayers.
10 For there are many and disorderly vain speakers and deceivers of people's minds, specially those of {the} circumcision,
11 who must have their mouths stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which ought not {to be taught} for the sake of base gain.
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, has said, Cretans are always liars, evil wild beasts, lazy gluttons.
13 This testimony is true; for which cause rebuke them severely, that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not turning {their} minds to Jewish fables and commandments of men turning away from the truth.
15 All things {are} pure to the pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing {is} pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16 They profess to know God, but in works deny {him}, being abominable, and disobedient, and found worthless as to every good work.
1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal; 3 but in his own seasons manifested his word in the message, wherewith I was intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour; 4 to Titus, my true child after a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge; 6 if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For the bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; 8 but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled; 9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said,
Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.
13 This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.