1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is according to godliness,

² in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began,

³ but hath in due times manifested His Word through preaching which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior,

⁴ To Titus, my own son in the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

⁵ For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

⁶ if any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot or unruly.

⁷ For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God, not selfwilled, not quick to anger, not given to wine, not violent, not given to filthy lucre;

⁸ but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate,

⁹ holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

¹⁰ For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the Circumcision,

¹¹ whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not for the sake of filthy lucre.

¹² One among themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, “The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slothful gluttons.”

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 who turn from the truth.

¹⁵ Unto the pure, all things are pure; but unto those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

¹⁶ They profess that they know God, but in their works they deny Him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.