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¹ Paul a servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ in agreement with the faith of God's chosen and full knowledge of that truth which is according to godliness,

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

³ At the right time he made his word unmistakably clear through preaching which was entrusted to me according to the commandment of God our Savior.

⁴ To Titus, my true son in the common faith, may grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.

⁵ I left you in Crete for this reason, that you should finish organizing what is left to do and appoint elders in every city as I directed you--

⁶ so if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of a riotous or unruly life.

⁷ For an overseer must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not consumed by money.

⁸ Instead, [he needs to be] a lover of hospitality, of what is good, sober, just, holy, having self-control,

⁹ being committed to the faithful word just as he has been taught, that he may be able with sound doctrine to plead and convince those who actively disagree with [the truth],

¹⁰ for there are many unruly, mouthy talkers and deceivers especially those of the circumcision,

¹¹ whose mouths must be stopped, who sabotage whole families teaching things which they should not for the sake of shameful personal profit.

¹² One of themselves, a prophet of their own said, "Cretians are always liars, wicked beasts, and lazy bellies."

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

¹⁴ not paying attention to Jewish fables and laws from men that turn [people] from the truth.

¹⁵ To the pure everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, and even their mind and conscience is defiled.

¹⁶ They profess that they know God, but in actions they deny him being repulsive, disobedient, and useless for any good work.

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¹ But you are to talk about things which are appropriate for sound doctrine.

² The senior men are to be sober, dignified, self-controlled, being sound in faith, love, and in patience.

³ The senior women in the same way [are to be] in behavior what is consistent with holiness, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine, teachers of what is good, Tit 2:4 so that they teach the younger women to be clear headed, to love their husbands, to love their children,

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⁵ to be self-controlled, chaste, taking care of the family, good, obedient to their own husbands, so that the Word of God is not reviled.

⁶ Likewise strongly encourage the young men to be sensible.

⁷ In everything showing yourself to be a model of good works, and in teaching [using] integrity, seriousness, incorruptibleness, [and]

⁸ sound words that can't be condemned, so that one who is an antagonistic may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say about you.

⁹ [Tell] servants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in everything, not talking back [to them],

¹⁰ not stealing [from them], but demonstrating complete trustworthiness, so as to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in everything,

¹¹ for the saving grace of God has appeared to all people,

¹² teaching us that refusing ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live in this present world with self-restraint, righteously, and pleasingly to God.

¹³ Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ,

¹⁴ who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a special people, zealous for good works.

¹⁵ Talk about these things, prod and rebuke [them] with full authority. Don't let anyone despise you.

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¹ Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, to be ready for every good work,

² not to insult anyone, or be contentious, [but to be] gentle, showing a complete meekness to all people.

³ We ourselves were also at one time foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various evil desires and pleasures, passing our time being spiteful, envious, obnoxious, and hating one another.

⁴ But as soon as the kindness and love of God our Savior toward mankind appeared,

⁵ he saved us, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

⁶ which he abundantly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior,

⁷ that having been justified by means of his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

⁸ This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on them, so that those who believe in God might be conscientious to keep up good works. These things are good and beneficial to people.

⁹ Avoid foolish questions, genealogies, big arguments and battles over The Law, for they are not beneficial and useless.

¹⁰ Reject a heretic--after the first and second warning--

¹¹ knowing that such a person is twisted and sins, being self-condemned.

¹² When I send Artemas to you or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have determined to winter there.

¹³ Help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos in any way you can, so that they are lacking in nothing.

¹⁴ Also let ours learn to keep up good works for essential needs, so that they won't be unfruitful.

¹⁵ All that are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.