⁹ Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man,

² A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;

¹⁴ Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

¹¹ But ^[a]refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry,

Honor True Widows

³ Honor widows who are really widows. ⁴ But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and ^(A)to repay their parents; for this is ^[a]good and acceptable before God.

¹² Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

^39 (A)A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, ^(B)only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she remains as she is, ^(C)according to my judgment—and ^(D)I think I also have the Spirit of God.

Keep Your Marriage Vows

¹⁰ Now to the married I command, yet not I but the ^(A)Lord: ^(B)A wife is not to depart from her husband. ¹¹ But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer

³⁶ Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of ^(A)Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; ³⁷ and this woman was a widow ^[a]of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers ^(B)night and day.