1 Paul, slave of God, and apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness; 2 for the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the times of the ages 3 and has manifested in due times. It is his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
4 to Titus, true son in the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus, the Christ, our Saviour.
5 For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou should correct that which is lacking and set in place elders in every city, as I had commanded thee: 6 He who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who can not be accused of dissoluteness, nor insubordinate. 7 For the bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God; not arrogant, not quick to anger, not given to wine, not hurtful, not greedy of dishonest gain, 8 but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, temperate, just, holy, gentle, 9 holding fast the doctrine according to the faithful word, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many insubordinate and vain talkers and deceivers of souls, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths it is expedient to stop, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain. 12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, lazy bellies. 13 This witness is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 15 For unto the pure all things are pure, but unto those that are defiled and unfaithful, nothing is pure, but even their soul and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and rebellious and reprobate unto every good work.