11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they are drawn away from Christ by desire, they want to marry(A) 12 and will therefore receive condemnation(B) because they have renounced their original pledge. 13 At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips(C) and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say. 14 Therefore, I want younger women to marry,(D) have children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us.(E) 15 For some have already turned away(F) to follow Satan.

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11 But do not accept younger widows on the list,[a] because their passions may lead them away from Christ[b] and they will desire to marry, 12 and so incur judgment for breaking their former pledge.[c] 13 And besides that, going around[d] from house to house they learn to be lazy,[e] and they are not only lazy, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things they should not.[f] 14 So I want younger women to marry, raise children, and manage a household, in order to give the adversary no opportunity to vilify us.[g] 15 For some have already wandered away to follow Satan.[h]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 5:11 tn Grk “refuse younger widows.”
  2. 1 Timothy 5:11 tn With a single verb and object, this clause means “pursue sensuous desires in opposition to Christ.”
  3. 1 Timothy 5:12 tn Grk “incurring judgment because they reject their first faith.”sn The pledge refers most likely to a vow not to remarry undertaken when a widow is put on the list (cf. 1 Tim 5:9).
  4. 1 Timothy 5:13 tn L&N 15.23 suggests the meaning, “to move about from place to place, with significant changes in direction—‘to travel about, to wander about.’”
  5. 1 Timothy 5:13 tn Or “idle.” The whole clause (“going around from house to house, they learn to be lazy”) reverses the order of the Greek. The present participle περιερχόμεναι (perierchomenai) may be taken as temporal (“while going around”), instrumental (“by going around”) or result (“with the result that they go around”).
  6. 1 Timothy 5:13 tn Grk “saying the things that are unnecessary.” Or perhaps “talking about things that are none of their business.”
  7. 1 Timothy 5:14 tn Grk “for the sake of reviling.”
  8. 1 Timothy 5:15 tn Grk “wandered away after Satan.”