1 'n Bejaarde man moet jy nie hard bestraf nie, maar vermaan hom soos 'n vader, jongeres soos broers,
2 bejaarde vroue soos moeders, jongeres soos susters in alle reinheid.
3 Eer die weduwees wat waarlik weduwees is.
4 Maar as 'n weduwee kinders of kleinkinders het, laat hulle eers leer om teenoor hulle eie huis eerbied te betoon en vergelding te doen aan hulle ouers; want dit is goed en aangenaam voor God.
5 En sy wat waarlik weduwee is en alleen gelaat is, hoop op God en bly in smekinge en gebede nag en dag.
6 Maar sy wat losbandig is, is lewendig dood.
7 Beveel ook hierdie dinge, sodat hulle onberispelik kan wees.
8 Maar iemand wat vir sy eie mense, en veral sy huisgenote, nie sorg nie, het die geloof verloën en is slegter as 'n ongelowige.
9 Laat 'n weduwee gekies word, nie minder as sestig jaar oud nie, wat die vrou van een man gewees het
10 en getuienis het van goeie werke, as sy kinders grootgemaak het, gasvry gewees het, die voete van die heiliges gewas het, verdruktes gehelp en elke goeie werk nagestreef het.
11 Maar jy moet die jong weduwees afwys; want wanneer hulle tot oneer van Christus wellustig word, wil hulle trou
12 en kom onder 'n oordeel, omdat hulle hul eerste geloof verwerp het.
13 En tegelykertyd leer hulle ook om ledig by die huise rond te gaan; en nie alleen is hulle ledig nie, maar ook praatsiek en bemoeisiek, want hulle praat wat nie behoorlik is nie.
14 Ek wil dan hê dat die jong weduwees moet trou, kinders baar, hulle huise regeer en die teëparty geen aanleiding gee om kwaad te spreek nie.
15 Want sommige het al afgewyk agter die Satan aan.
16 As 'n gelowige man of 'n gelowige vrou weduwees by hulle het, moet die aan hulle hulp verleen; en laat die gemeente nie beswaar word nie, sodat dit die wat waarlik weduwees is, kan help.
17 Laat die ouderlinge wat goed regeer, dubbele eer waardig geag word, veral die wat arbei in woord en leer.
18 Want die Skrif sê: Jy mag 'n os wat graan dors, nie muilband nie; en: Die arbeider is sy loon werd.
19 Moenie 'n beskuldiging teen 'n ouderling aanneem nie, behalwe op die getuienis van twee of drie.
20 Bestraf die wat sondig, in die teenwoordigheid van almal, sodat ook die ander kan vrees.
21 Ek besweer jou voor God en die Here Jesus Christus en die uitverkore engele dat jy hierdie dinge sonder vooroordeel in ag neem en niks uit partydigheid doen nie.
22 Moenie haastig iemand die hande oplê nie, en moet ook nie met die sondes van ander gemeenskap hê nie. Hou jou rein.
23 Moenie langer water alleen drink nie, maar gebruik 'n bietjie wyn ter wille van jou maag en jou herhaalde ongesteldhede.
24 Die sondes van sommige mense is baie duidelik en gaan voor hulle uit tot die oordeel, maar volg ander eers agterna.
25 Net so is ook die goeie werke baie duidelik, en ook die wat anders is, kan nie weggesteek word nie.
1 Do not say sharp words to one who has authority in the church, but let your talk be as to a father, and to the younger men as to brothers:
2 To the older women as to mothers, to the younger as to sisters, with a clean heart.
3 Give honour to widows who are truly widows.
4 But if any widow has children or children's children, let these see that it is right to take care of their family and their fathers and mothers: for this is pleasing in the eyes of God.
5 Now she who is truly a widow and without family puts her hope in God, giving herself to prayer day and night.
6 But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she is living.
7 Give orders to this effect, so that no evil may be said of anyone.
8 If anyone has no care for his family and those in his house, he is false to the faith, and is worse than one who has no faith.
9 Let no woman be numbered among the widows who is under sixty years old, and only if she has been the wife of one man,
10 And if witness is given of her good works; if she has had the care of children, if she has been kind to travellers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those who are in trouble, giving herself to good works.
11 But to the younger widows say No: for when their love is turned away from Christ, they have a desire to be married;
12 And they are judged because they have been false to their first faith;
13 And they get into the way of doing no work, going about from house to house; and not only doing no work, but talking foolishly, being over-interested in the business of others, saying things which they have no right to say.
14 So it is my desire that the younger widows may be married and have children, controlling their families, and giving the Evil One no chance to say anything against them,
15 For even now some are turned away to Satan.
16 If any woman of the faith has relations who are widows, let her give them help, so that the care of them does not come on the church, and so it may give help to those who are truly widowed.
17 Let rulers whose rule is good be honoured twice over, specially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
18 For the Writings say, It is not right to keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. And, The worker has a right to his reward.
19 Do not take as true any statement made against one in authority, but only if two or three give witness to it.
20 Say sharp words to sinners when all are present, so that the rest may be in fear.
21 I give you orders before God and Christ Jesus and the angels of God's selection, to keep these orders without giving thought to one side more than another.
22 Do not put hands on any man without thought, and have no part in other men's sins: keep yourself clean.
23 Do not take only water as your drink, but take a little wine for the good of your stomach, and because you are frequently ill.
24 The sins of some men are clearly seen, going before them to be judged; but with others, their sins go after them.
25 In the same way, there are good works which are clearly seen; and those which are not so, may not be kept secret.