1 Timothy 3

1 Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

It is a faithful saying, that if a man desireth the eldership, he desireth a good work.

2 The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

And an elder ought to be such, that no blame can be found in him; and he should be the husband of one wife, with a vigilant mind, and sober and regular in his habits, and affectionate to strangers, and instructive;

3 no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money;

and not a transgressor in regard to wine, and whose hand is not swift to strike; but he should be humble, and not contentious, nor a lover of money;

4 one that ruleth well his own house, having [his] children in subjection with all gravity;

and one that guideth well his own house, and holdeth his children in subjection with all purity.

5 (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

For if he knoweth not how to guide his own house well, how can he guide the church of God.

6 not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

Neither let him be of recent discipleship; lest he be uplifted, and fall into the condemnation of Satan.

7 Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

And there ought to be good testimony of him from those without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of Satan.

8 Deacons in like manner [must be] grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

And so also the deacons should be pure, and not speak double, nor incline to much wine, nor love base gains;

9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

but should hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.

10 And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless.

And let them be first tried, and then let them serve, if they are without blame.

11 Women in like manner [must be] grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

So also should the wives be chaste and of vigilant minds; and they should be faithful in all things; and they should not be slanderers.

12 Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling [their] children and their own houses well.

Let the deacons be such as have each one wife and guide well their children and households.

13 For they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

For they who serve well as deacons, procure for themselves a good degree, and much boldness in the faith of Jesus the Messiah.

14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly;

These things I write to thee, while hoping soon to come to thee;

15 but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

but if I should delay, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God. The pillar and the foundation of the truth,

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

and truly great, is this mystery of righteousness, which was revealed in the flesh, and justified in the spirit, and seen by angels, and proclaimed among the Gentiles, and believed on in the world, and received up into glory.