| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers, | 1Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. |
| 2older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters, with absolute purity. | 2Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. |
| 3Honor widows who have no other family members to care for them. | 3Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. |
| 4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents, for this is pleasing in God's sight. | 4But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God. |
| 5A woman who has no other family members to care for her and who is left all alone has placed her hope in God and devotes herself to petitions and prayers night and day. | 5Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help. |
| 6But the self-indulgent widow is just as good as dead. | 6But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives. |
| 7Continue to give these instructions, so that they may be blameless. | 7Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism. |
| 8If anyone does not take care of his own relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. | 8But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers. |
| 9A widow may be put on the widows' list if she is at least sixty years old and has been the wife of one husband. | 9A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least sixty years old and was faithful to her husband. |
| 10She must be well known for her good actions as a woman who has raised children, welcomed strangers, washed the saints' feet, helped the suffering, and devoted herself to doing good in every way. | 10She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good? |
| 11But do not include younger widows on your list. For whenever their natural desires cause them to lose their devotion to the Messiah, they want to remarry. | 11The younger widows should not be on the list, because their physical desires will overpower their devotion to Christ and they will want to remarry. |
| 12They receive condemnation because they have set aside their prior commitment to the Messiah. | 12Then they would be guilty of breaking their previous pledge. |
| 13At the same time, they also learn how to be lazy while going from house to house. Not only this, but they even become gossips and keep busy by interfering in other people's lives, saying things they should not say. | 13And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t. |
| 14Therefore, I want younger widows to remarry, have children, manage their homes, and not give the enemy any chance to ridicule them. | 14So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them. |
| 15For some widows have already turned away to follow Satan. | 15For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan. |
| 16If any woman is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. The church should not be burdened, so it can help those widows who have no other family members to care for them. | 16If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone. |
| 17Elders who handle their duties well should be considered worthy of double compensation, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. | 17Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. |
| 18For the Scripture says, "You must not muzzle an ox while it is treading out grain," and, "A worker deserves his pay." | 18For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” |
| 19Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported "by two or three witnesses." | 19Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. |
| 20As for those who keep on sinning, rebuke them in front of everyone so that the rest will also be afraid. | 20Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others. |
| 21With God as my witness, as well as the Messiah Jesus and the chosen angels, I solemnly call on you to carry out these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing on the basis of partiality. | 21I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone. |
| 22Do not ordain anyone hastily. Do not participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. | 22Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. |
| 23Stop drinking only water, but use a little wine for your stomach because of your frequent illnesses. | 23Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often. |
| 24The sins of some people are obvious, leading them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there. | 24Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. |
| 25In the same way, good actions are obvious, and those that are not cannot remain hidden. | 25In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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