| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, | 1Paul, 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, |
| 2in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, | 2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. |
| 3but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior; | 3In His own time He has made His word evident in the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior. |
| 4To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. | 4To Titus, my true child in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. |
| 5For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— | 5The 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. |
| 6if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. | 6An 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. |
| 7For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, | 7As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money. |
| 8but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, | 8Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. |
| 9holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. | 9He 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. |
| 10For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, | 10For many are rebellious and full of empty talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision, |
| 11whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. | 11who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not. |
| 12One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” | 12As one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” |
| 13This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, | 13This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sternly, so that they will be sound in the faith |
| 14not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. | 14and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of men who have rejected the truth. |
| 15To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. | 15To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled. |
| 16They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. | 16They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed. |
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