1 P aul, a bond servant of God and an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) to stimulate and promote the faith of God’s chosen ones and to lead them on to accurate discernment and recognition of and acquaintance with the Truth which belongs to and harmonizes with and tends to godliness,

Paolo, servo di Dio e apostolo di Gesú Cristo, secondo la fede degli eletti di Dio e la conoscenza della verità che è secondo pietà,

2 i n the hope of eternal life, which the ever truthful God Who cannot deceive promised before the world or the ages of time began.

nella speranza della vita eterna, promessa prima di tutte le età da Dio, che non può mentire,

3 A nd in His own appointed time He has made manifest (made known) His Word and revealed it as His message through the preaching entrusted to me by command of God our Savior;

e che nei tempi stabiliti ha manifestato la sua parola mediante la predicazione che mi è stata affidata per comando di Dio, nostro Salvatore,

4 T o Titus, my true child according to a common (general) faith: Grace (favor and spiritual blessing) and peace from God the Father and the Lord Christ Jesus our Savior.

a Tito, mio vero figlio nella comune fede: grazia, misericordia e pace da Dio il Padre e dal Signor Gesú Cristo, nostro Salvatore.

5 F or this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set right what was defective and finish what was left undone, and that you might appoint elders and set them over the churches (assemblies) in every city as I directed you.

Per questa ragione ti ho lasciato a Creta, affinché tu metta ordine alle cose che restano da fare e costituisca degli anziani in ogni città, come ti ho ordinato;

6 m en who are of unquestionable integrity and are irreproachable, the husband of one wife, whose children are believers, not open to the accusation of being loose in morals and conduct or unruly and disorderly.

ciascuno di loro sia irreprensibile, marito di una sola moglie, e abbia figli fedeli che non siano accusati di dissolutezza né insubordinati.

7 F or the bishop (an overseer) as God’s steward must be blameless, not self-willed or arrogant or presumptuous; he must not be quick-tempered or given to drink or pugnacious (brawling, violent); he must not be grasping and greedy for filthy lucre (financial gain);

Il vescovo infatti, come amministratore della casa di Dio, deve essere irreprensibile, non arrogante, non iracondo, non dedito al vino, non violento, non avido di disonesto guadagno,

8 B ut he must be hospitable (loving and a friend to believers, especially to strangers and foreigners); a lover of goodness, sober-minded (sensible, discreet), upright and fair-minded, a devout man and religiously correct, temperate and keeping himself in hand.

ma ospitale, amante del bene, assennato, giusto, santo, padrone di sé,

9 H e must hold fast to the sure and trustworthy Word of God as he was taught it, so that he may be able both to give stimulating instruction and encouragement in sound (wholesome) doctrine and to refute and convict those who contradict and oppose it.

che ritenga fermamente l'insegnamento secondo la fedele parola, per essere in grado di esortare nella sana dottrina e di convincere quelli che contraddicono.

10 F or there are many disorderly and unruly men who are idle (vain, empty) and misleading talkers and self-deceivers and deceivers of others. especially of those of the circumcision party.

Vi sono infatti, specialmente fra coloro che provengono dalla circoncisione, molti insubordinati, ciarloni e seduttori, ai quali bisogna turare la bocca;

11 T heir mouths must be stopped, for they are mentally distressing and subverting whole families by teaching what they ought not to teach, for the purpose of getting base advantage and disreputable gain.

questi sovvertono famiglie intere, insegnando cose che non dovrebbero, per amore di disonesto guadagno.

12 O ne of their number, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, hurtful beasts, idle and lazy gluttons.

Uno di loro, proprio un loro profeta, ha detto: «I Cretesi sono sempre bugiardi, male bestie, ventri pigri».

13 A nd this account of them is true. Because it is, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith and free from error,

Questa testimonianza è vera, per questo motivo riprendili severamente, affinché siano sani nella fede,

14 c easing to give attention to Jewish myths and fables or to rules by men who reject and turn their backs on the Truth.

senza attenersi a favole giudaiche né a comandamenti di uomini che rifiutano la verità.

15 T o the pure all things are pure, but to the defiled and corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are defiled and polluted.

Certo, tutto è puro per i puri, ma niente è puro per i contaminati e gli increduli; anzi, sia la loro mente che la loro coscienza sono contaminate.

16 T hey profess to know God, but deny and disown and renounce Him by what they do; they are detestable and loathsome, unbelieving and disobedient and disloyal and rebellious, and unfit and worthless for good work (deed or enterprise) of any kind.

Essi fanno professione di conoscere Dio, ma lo rinnegano con le opere, essendo abominevoli, disubbidienti, e incapaci di ogni opera buona.