1 T his is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer, he desires a good work.

Stedfast the word: If any one the oversight doth long for, a right work he desireth;

2 T he overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;

it behoveth, therefore, the overseer to be blameless, of one wife a husband, vigilant, sober, decent, a friend of strangers, apt to teach,

3 n ot a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

not given to wine, not a striker, not given to filthy lucre, but gentle, not contentious, not a lover of money,

4 o ne who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;

his own house leading well, having children in subjection with all gravity,

5 ( but if a man doesn’t know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

(and if any one his own house to lead hath not known, how an assembly of God shall he take care of?)

6 n ot a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

not a new convert, lest having been puffed up he may fall to a judgment of the devil;

7 M oreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.

and it behoveth him also to have a good testimony from those without, that he may not fall into reproach and a snare of the devil.

8 S ervants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money;

Ministrants -- in like manner grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not given to filthy lucre,

9 h olding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

having the secret of the faith in a pure conscience,

10 L et them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.

and let these also first be proved, then let them minister, being unblameable.

11 T heir wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

Women -- in like manner grave, not false accusers, vigilant, faithful in all things.

12 L et servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Ministrants -- let them be of one wife husbands; the children leading well, and their own houses,

13 F or those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

for those who did minister well a good step to themselves do acquire, and much boldness in faith that in Christ Jesus.

14 T hese things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;

These things I write to thee, hoping to come unto thee soon,

15 b ut if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

and if I delay, that thou mayest know how it behoveth to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is an assembly of the living God -- a pillar and foundation of the truth,

16 W ithout controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

and, confessedly, great is the secret of piety -- God was manifested in flesh, declared righteous in spirit, seen by messengers, preached among nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory!