Tito 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;

² In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages began;

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

⁴ To Titus, my own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

⁵ For this cause I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed you:

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

⁷ For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, not violent, not given to dishonest gain;

⁸ But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good, sensible, just, holy, temperate;

⁹ Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to refute the opposition.

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

¹¹ Whose mouths must be stopped, who ruin whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain.

¹² One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.

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

¹⁴ Not giving heed to Jewish myths, and commandments of men, that turn from 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 are defiled.

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