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

2in hope of everlasting life, which God, who cannot lie, promised from the most ancient times,

3but in his own seasons manifested his word through the preaching with which I was intrusted by the commandment of God our Saviour:

4to Titus, true child after the common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.

5For this cause I left thee behind in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed thee;

6if any one is without reproach, the husband of one wife, having believing children, that are not accused of dissoluteness, or unruly.

7For a bishop must be without reproach, as God's steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, not a striker, not greedy of base gain,

8but hospitable, a lover of what is good, discreet, just, holy, temperate,

9holding fast the sure word according to what he was taught, that he may be able by sound teaching both to exhort, and to refute the gainsayers.

10For there are many unruly vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision;

11whose mouths must be stopped, since they overturn whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of base gain.

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

13This testimony is true; for which cause rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

14not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

15To the pure all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and conscience are defiled.

16They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and for every good work reprobate.