1 ¶ Paul, slave of God, and apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness;

2 f or the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the times of the ages

3 a nd has manifested in due times. It is his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

4 t o Titus, true son in the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus, the Christ, our Saviour.

5 ¶ For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou should correct that which is lacking and set in place elders in every city, as I had commanded thee:

6 ¶ He who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who can not be accused of dissoluteness, nor insubordinate.

7 F or the bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God; not arrogant, not quick to anger, not given to wine, not hurtful, not greedy of dishonest gain,

8 b ut a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, temperate, just, holy, gentle,

9 h olding fast the doctrine according to the faithful word, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

10 F or there are many insubordinate and vain talkers and deceivers of souls, especially those of the circumcision,

11 w hose mouths it is expedient to stop, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain.

12 O ne of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, lazy bellies.

13 T his witness is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

14 n ot giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

15 F or unto the pure all things are pure, but unto those that are defiled and unfaithful, nothing is pure, but even their soul and conscience is defiled.

16 T hey profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and rebellious and reprobate unto every good work.