Font Size
Amos 4-6
English Standard Version
Amos 4-6
English Standard Version
4 “Hear this word, (A)you cows of Bashan,
who are (B)on the mountain of Samaria,
(C)who oppress the poor, (D)who crush the needy,
who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
2 (E)The Lord God has sworn by his holiness
that, behold, the days are coming upon you,
(F)when they shall take you away with hooks,
(G)even the last of you with fishhooks.
3 (H)And you shall go out through the breaches,
each one straight ahead;
and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”
declares the Lord.
4 (I)“Come to Bethel, and transgress;
to (J)Gilgal, and multiply transgression;
(K)bring your (L)sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days;
5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of (M)that which is leavened,
and proclaim (N)freewill offerings, publish them;
(O)for so you love to do, O people of Israel!”
declares the Lord God.
Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord
6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
and (P)lack of bread in all your places,
(Q)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
7 “I also (R)withheld the rain from you
when there were yet three months to the harvest;
(S)I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
8 so two or three cities (T)would wander to another city
to drink water, and would not be satisfied;
(U)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
9 (V)“I struck you with blight and mildew;
your many gardens and your vineyards,
your fig trees and your olive trees (W)the locust devoured;
(X)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
10 “I sent among you a pestilence (Y)after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword,
and (Z)carried away your horses,[a]
and (AA)I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
(AB)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
11 “I overthrew some of you,
(AC)as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were (AD)as a brand[b] plucked out of the burning;
(AE)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
13 For behold, (AF)he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
and (AG)declares to man what is his thought,
(AH)who makes the morning darkness,
and (AI)treads on the heights of the earth—
(AJ)the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!
Seek the Lord and Live
5 Hear this word that I (AK)take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:
2 “Fallen, no more to rise,
is (AL)the virgin Israel;
forsaken on her land,
with none to raise her up.”
3 For thus says the Lord God:
“The city that went out a thousand
shall have a hundred left,
and that which went out a hundred
shall have ten left
to the house of Israel.”
4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:
(AM)“Seek me and live;
5 but do not seek (AN)Bethel,
and do not enter into (AO)Gilgal
or cross over to (AP)Beersheba;
for (AQ)Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
and (AR)Bethel shall come to nothing.”
6 (AS)Seek the Lord and live,
(AT)lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for (AU)Bethel,
7 O (AV)you who turn justice to wormwood[c]
and cast down righteousness to the earth!
8 He who made the (AW)Pleiades and Orion,
and turns deep darkness into the morning
and (AX)darkens the day into night,
who (AY)calls for the waters of the sea
(AZ)and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
(BA)the Lord is his name;
9 (BB)who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,
so that destruction comes upon the fortress.
10 (BC)They hate him who reproves (BD)in the gate,
and they (BE)abhor him who speaks the truth.
11 Therefore because you (BF)trample on[d] the poor
and you exact taxes of grain from him,
(BG)you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not dwell in them;
(BH)you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many are your transgressions
and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who (BI)take a bribe,
and (BJ)turn aside the needy (BK)in the gate.
13 Therefore he who is prudent will (BL)keep silent in such a time,
(BM)for it is an evil time.
14 (BN)Seek good, and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, (BO)the God of hosts, will be with you,
as you have said.
15 (BP)Hate evil, and love good,
and establish justice (BQ)in the gate;
(BR)it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord, (BS)the God of hosts, the Lord:
“In all the squares (BT)there shall be wailing,
and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
They shall call the farmers to mourning
and (BU)to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,
17 and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,
for (BV)I will pass through your midst,”
says the Lord.
Let Justice Roll Down
18 Woe to you who desire (BW)the day of the Lord!
Why would you have the day of the Lord?
(BX)It is darkness, and not light,
19 (BY)as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
20 (BZ)Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
21 (CA)“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 (CB)Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to (CC)the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24 But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25 (CD)“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 (CE)You (CF)shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, 27 (CG)and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is (CH)the God of hosts.
Woe to Those at Ease in Zion
6 (CI)“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,
and to those who feel secure on (CJ)the mountain of Samaria,
(CK)the notable men of (CL)the first of the nations,
to whom the house of Israel comes!
2 Pass over to (CM)Calneh, and see,
and from there go to (CN)Hamath the great;
then go down to (CO)Gath of the Philistines.
(CP)Are you better than these kingdoms?
Or is their territory greater than your territory,
3 (CQ)O you who put far away the day of disaster
(CR)and bring near the seat of violence?
4 “Woe to those (CS)who lie on (CT)beds of ivory
(CU)and stretch themselves out on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock
(CV)and calves from the midst of the stall,
5 (CW)who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David (CX)invent for themselves instruments of music,
6 (CY)who drink wine in bowls
and (CZ)anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
7 (DA)Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile,
and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”
8 (DB)The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares the Lord, the God of hosts:
“I abhor (DC)the pride of Jacob
and hate his strongholds,
(DD)and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”
9 And (DE)if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. 10 And when one's relative, (DF)the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, “Is there still anyone with you?” he shall say, “No”; and he shall say, (DG)“Silence! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”
11 For behold, the Lord commands,
and (DH)the great house shall be struck down into fragments,
and the little house into bits.
12 Do horses run on rocks?
Does one plow there[e] with oxen?
(DI)But you have turned justice into (DJ)poison
(DK)and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood[f]—
13 you who rejoice in Lo-debar,[g]
who say, (DL)“Have we not by our own strength
captured Karnaim[h] for ourselves?”
14 “For behold, (DM)I will raise up against you a nation,
O house of Israel,” declares the Lord, the God of hosts;
“and they shall oppress you from (DN)Lebo-hamath
to the Brook of (DO)the Arabah.”
Amos 4-6
New International Version
Amos 4-6
New International Version
Israel Has Not Returned to God
4 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan(A) on Mount Samaria,(B)
you women who oppress the poor(C) and crush the needy(D)
and say to your husbands,(E) “Bring us some drinks!(F)”
2 The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:
“The time(G) will surely come
when you will be taken away(H) with hooks,(I)
the last of you with fishhooks.[a]
3 You will each go straight out
through breaches in the wall,(J)
and you will be cast out toward Harmon,[b]”
declares the Lord.
4 “Go to Bethel(K) and sin;
go to Gilgal(L) and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,(M)
your tithes(N) every three years.[c](O)
5 Burn leavened bread(P) as a thank offering
and brag about your freewill offerings(Q)—
boast about them, you Israelites,
for this is what you love to do,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.
6 “I gave you empty stomachs in every city
and lack of bread in every town,
yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(R)
7 “I also withheld(S) rain from you
when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
but withheld it from another.(T)
One field had rain;
another had none and dried up.
8 People staggered from town to town for water(U)
but did not get enough(V) to drink,
yet you have not returned(W) to me,”
declares the Lord.(X)
9 “Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
destroying them with blight and mildew.(Y)
Locusts(Z) devoured your fig and olive trees,(AA)
yet you have not returned(AB) to me,”
declares the Lord.
10 “I sent plagues(AC) among you
as I did to Egypt.(AD)
I killed your young men(AE) with the sword,
along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench(AF) of your camps,
yet you have not returned to me,”(AG)
declares the Lord.(AH)
11 “I overthrew some of you
as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.(AI)
You were like a burning stick(AJ) snatched from the fire,
yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(AK)
12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
and because I will do this to you, Israel,
prepare to meet your God.”
13 He who forms the mountains,(AL)
who creates the wind,(AM)
and who reveals his thoughts(AN) to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth(AO)—
the Lord God Almighty is his name.(AP)
A Lament and Call to Repentance
5 Hear this word, Israel, this lament(AQ) I take up concerning you:
2 “Fallen is Virgin(AR) Israel,
never to rise again,
deserted in her own land,
with no one to lift her up.(AS)”
3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:
“Your city that marches out a thousand strong
will have only a hundred left;
your town that marches out a hundred strong
will have only ten left.(AT)”
4 This is what the Lord says to Israel:
“Seek(AU) me and live;(AV)
5 do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,(AW)
do not journey to Beersheba.(AX)
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.[d](AY)”
6 Seek(AZ) the Lord and live,(BA)
or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;(BB)
it will devour them,
and Bethel(BC) will have no one to quench it.(BD)
7 There are those who turn justice into bitterness(BE)
and cast righteousness(BF) to the ground.(BG)
8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion,(BH)
who turns midnight into dawn(BI)
and darkens day into night,(BJ)
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land—
the Lord is his name.(BK)
9 With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold
and brings the fortified city to ruin.(BL)
10 There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court(BM)
and detest the one who tells the truth.(BN)
11 You levy a straw tax on the poor(BO)
and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,(BP)
you will not live in them;(BQ)
though you have planted lush vineyards,
you will not drink their wine.(BR)
12 For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.(BS)
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes(BT)
and deprive the poor(BU) of justice in the courts.(BV)
13 Therefore the prudent keep quiet(BW) in such times,
for the times are evil.(BX)
14 Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.(BY)
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15 Hate evil,(BZ) love good;(CA)
maintain justice in the courts.(CB)
Perhaps(CC) the Lord God Almighty will have mercy(CD)
on the remnant(CE) of Joseph.
16 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says:
“There will be wailing(CF) in all the streets(CG)
and cries of anguish in every public square.
The farmers(CH) will be summoned to weep
and the mourners to wail.
17 There will be wailing(CI) in all the vineyards,
for I will pass through(CJ) your midst,”
says the Lord.(CK)
The Day of the Lord
18 Woe to you who long
for the day of the Lord!(CL)
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?(CM)
That day will be darkness,(CN) not light.(CO)
19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion
only to meet a bear,(CP)
as though he entered his house
and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.(CQ)
20 Will not the day of the Lord be darkness,(CR) not light—
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?(CS)
21 “I hate,(CT) I despise your religious festivals;(CU)
your assemblies(CV) are a stench to me.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings(CW) and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.(CX)
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.(CY)
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.(CZ)
24 But let justice(DA) roll on like a river,
righteousness(DB) like a never-failing stream!(DC)
25 “Did you bring me sacrifices(DD) and offerings
forty years(DE) in the wilderness, people of Israel?
26 You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
the pedestal of your idols,(DF)
the star of your god[e]—
which you made for yourselves.
27 Therefore I will send you into exile(DG) beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.(DH)
Woe to the Complacent
6 Woe to you(DI) who are complacent(DJ) in Zion,
and to you who feel secure(DK) on Mount Samaria,(DL)
you notable men of the foremost nation,
to whom the people of Israel come!(DM)
2 Go to Kalneh(DN) and look at it;
go from there to great Hamath,(DO)
and then go down to Gath(DP) in Philistia.
Are they better off than(DQ) your two kingdoms?
Is their land larger than yours?
3 You put off the day of disaster
and bring near a reign of terror.(DR)
4 You lie on beds adorned with ivory
and lounge on your couches.(DS)
You dine on choice lambs
and fattened calves.(DT)
5 You strum away on your harps(DU) like David
and improvise on musical instruments.(DV)
6 You drink wine(DW) by the bowlful
and use the finest lotions,
but you do not grieve(DX) over the ruin of Joseph.(DY)
7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;(DZ)
your feasting and lounging will end.(EA)
The Lord Abhors the Pride of Israel
8 The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself(EB)—the Lord God Almighty declares:
“I abhor(EC) the pride of Jacob(ED)
and detest his fortresses;(EE)
I will deliver up(EF) the city
and everything in it.(EG)”
9 If ten(EH) people are left in one house, they too will die. 10 And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them[f](EI) asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush!(EJ) We must not mention the name of the Lord.”
11 For the Lord has given the command,
and he will smash(EK) the great house(EL) into pieces
and the small house into bits.(EM)
Footnotes
- Amos 4:2 Or away in baskets, / the last of you in fish baskets
- Amos 4:3 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew (see Septuagint) out, you mountain of oppression
- Amos 4:4 Or days
- Amos 5:5 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see Hosea 4:15.
- Amos 5:26 Or lifted up Sakkuth your king / and Kaiwan your idols, / your star-gods; Septuagint lifted up the shrine of Molek / and the star of your god Rephan, / their idols
- Amos 6:10 Or to make a funeral fire in honor of the dead
- Amos 6:12 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text plow there
- Amos 6:13 Lo Debar means nothing.
- Amos 6:13 Karnaim means horns; horn here symbolizes strength.
Psalm 86-87
English Standard Version
Psalm 86-87
English Standard Version
Great Is Your Steadfast Love
(A)A Prayer of David.
86 (B)Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am (C)poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am (D)godly;
save your servant, who (E)trusts in you—you are my God.
3 (F)Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for (G)to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and (H)forgiving,
(I)abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 (J)Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
7 In (K)the day of my trouble I call upon you,
(L)for you answer me.
8 There is (M)none like you among the gods, O Lord,
(N)nor are there any works like yours.
9 (O)All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10 For (P)you are great and (Q)do wondrous things;
(R)you alone are God.
11 (S)Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may (T)walk in your truth;
(U)unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13 (V)For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have (W)delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have (X)risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God (Y)merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 (Z)Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to (AA)your servant,
and save (AB)the son of your maidservant.
17 (AC)Show me a sign of your (AD)favor,
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Glorious Things of You Are Spoken
A Psalm of (AE)the Sons of Korah. A Song.
87 On (AF)the holy mount (AG)stands the city he founded;
2 the Lord (AH)loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
3 (AI)Glorious things of you are spoken,
O (AJ)city of God. Selah
4 Among those who (AK)know me I mention (AL)Rahab and Babylon;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with (AM)Cush[a]—
“This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her”;
for the Most High himself will (AN)establish her.
6 The Lord records as he (AO)registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
Footnotes
- Psalm 87:4 Probably Nubia
Psalm 86-87
New International Version
Psalm 86-87
New International Version
Psalm 86
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me, Lord, and answer(A) me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.(B)
You are my God; 3 have mercy(C) on me, Lord,
for I call(D) to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust(E) in you.
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love(F) to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry(G) for mercy.
7 When I am in distress,(H) I call(I) to you,
because you answer(J) me.
8 Among the gods(K) there is none like you,(L) Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come(M) and worship(N) before you, Lord;
they will bring glory(O) to your name.
10 For you are great(P) and do marvelous deeds;(Q)
you alone(R) are God.
11 Teach me your way,(S) Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;(T)
give me an undivided(U) heart,
that I may fear(V) your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;(W)
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me(X) from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.(Y)
14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
they have no regard for you.(Z)
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious(AA) God,
slow to anger,(AB) abounding(AC) in love and faithfulness.(AD)
16 Turn to me(AE) and have mercy(AF) on me;
show your strength(AG) in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.(AH)
17 Give me a sign(AI) of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Psalm 87
Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.(AJ)
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion(AK)
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you,
city of God:[a](AL)
4 “I will record Rahab[b](AM) and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia(AN) too, and Tyre(AO), along with Cush[c]—
and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”[d](AP)
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her.”
6 The Lord will write in the register(AQ) of the peoples:
“This one was born in Zion.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 87:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
- Psalm 87:4 A poetic name for Egypt
- Psalm 87:4 That is, the upper Nile region
- Psalm 87:4 Or “I will record concerning those who acknowledge me: / ‘This one was born in Zion.’ / Hear this, Rahab and Babylon, / and you too, Philistia, Tyre and Cush.”
Titus 1
English Standard Version
Titus 1
English Standard Version
Greeting
1 Paul, a servant[a] of God and (A)an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and (B)their knowledge of the truth, (C)which accords with godliness, 2 (D)in hope of eternal life, which God, (E)who never lies, (F)promised (G)before the ages began[b] 3 and (H)at the proper time manifested in his word[c] (I)through the preaching (J)with which I have been entrusted (K)by the command of God our Savior;
4 To Titus, (L)my true child in (M)a common faith:
(N)Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Qualifications for Elders
5 (O)This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and (P)appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 (Q)if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,[d] and his children are believers[e] and not open to the charge of (R)debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer,[f] (S)as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not (T)be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent (U)or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, (V)and disciplined. 9 He must (W)hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in (X)sound[g] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, (Y)empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of (Z)the circumcision party.[h] 11 They must be silenced, since (AA)they are upsetting whole families by teaching (AB)for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 (AC)One of the Cretans,[i] a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”[j] 13 This testimony is true. Therefore (AD)rebuke them (AE)sharply, that they (AF)may be sound in the faith, 14 (AG)not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and (AH)the commands of people (AI)who turn away from the truth. 15 (AJ)To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and (AK)unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both (AL)their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 (AM)They profess to know God, but they (AN)deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, (AO)unfit for any good work.
Footnotes
- Titus 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
- Titus 1:2 Greek before times eternal
- Titus 1:3 Or manifested his word
- Titus 1:6 Or a man of one woman
- Titus 1:6 Or are faithful
- Titus 1:7 Or bishop; Greek episkopos
- Titus 1:9 Or healthy; also verse 13
- Titus 1:10 Or especially those of the circumcision
- Titus 1:12 Greek One of them
- Titus 1:12 Probably from Epimenides of Crete
Titus 1
New International Version
Titus 1
New International Version
1 Paul, a servant of God(A) and an apostle(B) of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth(C) that leads to godliness(D)— 2 in the hope of eternal life,(E) which God, who does not lie,(F) promised before the beginning of time,(G) 3 and which now at his appointed season(H) he has brought to light(I) through the preaching entrusted to me(J) by the command of God(K) our Savior,(L)
4 To Titus,(M) my true son(N) in our common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.(O)
Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good(P)
5 The reason I left you in Crete(Q) was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint[a] elders(R) in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless,(S) faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer(T) manages God’s household,(U) he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.(V) 8 Rather, he must be hospitable,(W) one who loves what is good,(X) who is self-controlled,(Y) upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly(Z) to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine(AA) and refute those who oppose it.
Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good
10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk(AB) and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.(AC) 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households(AD) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of Crete’s own prophets(AE) has said it: “Cretans(AF) are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”[c] 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke(AG) them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith(AH) 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths(AI) or to the merely human commands(AJ) of those who reject the truth.(AK) 15 To the pure, all things are pure,(AL) but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.(AM) In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.(AN) 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.(AO) They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.(AP)
Footnotes
- Titus 1:5 Or ordain
- Titus 1:6 Or children are trustworthy
- Titus 1:12 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.