Titus 1

1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,

1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;

3 In His own time He has made His word evident in the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.

3 but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,

4 To Titus, my true child in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

4 to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you would set in order what was unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

5 I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you—

6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and who are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination.

6 if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.

7 As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.

7 For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;

8 Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

8 but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled,

9 He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.

9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.

10 For many are rebellious and full of empty talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision,

10 For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

11 who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not.

11 whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake.

12 As one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.”

13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sternly, so that they will be sound in the faith

13 This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of men who have rejected the truth.

14 not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

16 They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

16 They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.