Old Testament
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
New Testament
1 Timothy 5
Attitude Toward Various Age Groups
51Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but encourage him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.
Taking Care of Widows
3Honor widows who are truly widows. 4But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to be devoted to their own household and repay their parents,[] for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5Now the widow who is without relatives has put her hope in God and continues in her petitions and prayers night and day. 6But the widow who lives only for her own pleasure is dead, even while she lives. 7Insist on these things also, in order that they may be above criticism. 8But if anyone does not provide for his own family, and especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9Let a widow be put on the list if she is over sixty years old, has been a wife of one husband, 10and has a good reputation for doing good: if she brought up children, if she showed hospitality to strangers, if she washed the feet of the saints, if she provided help for those in distress, and if she dedicated herself to every good work. 11But do not put younger widows on the list, for when they have strong sensual desires that pull them away from Christ, they want to marry, 12and so they bring judgment on themselves because they set aside their former pledge.[] 13At the same time, they also learn to be lazy as they go about from house to house. They not only learn to be lazy, but also to be gossips and busybodies, saying things that they should not say. 14Therefore I want younger widows[] to marry, to have children, to keep house, and to give no opportunity for the enemy to slander them. 15In fact, some have already turned away to follow Satan.
16If any believing woman[] has widows in her family, let her keep helping them rather than letting them become a burden to the church, so that the church may help those who are truly widows.
Dealing With Elders
17The elders who lead well should be considered worthy of double honor, especially the ones who work hard in the word and doctrine.[] 18For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,”[] and “The worker is worthy of his pay.”[] 19Do not accept an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 20In the presence of everyone, rebuke the ones who persist in sin, so that the rest may be afraid.
21I solemnly charge you, in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, that you follow these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing out of partiality. 22Do not lay hands on anyone hastily and do not take part in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent sicknesses.
24The sins of some people are obvious, going on ahead of them to judgment, but the sins of others follow them there. 25In the same way, good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not obvious cannot stay hidden.
Footnotes
- 5:4 Or parents and grandparents
- 5:12 Or their first faith
- 5:14 Or women
- 5:16 Some witnesses to the text read believing man or woman.
- 5:17 Or preaching and teaching
- 5:18 Deuteronomy 25:4
- 5:18 Leviticus 19:13; Luke 10:7