1 This is a faithful saying: If a man aspires to the position of an overseer, he desires a good work.2 An overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, well ordered, hospitable, able to teach;3 not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for money, but fair-minded, not quarrelsome, not loving money;4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in subjection with all respect5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);6 not a new convert, that he not be puffed up with pride and fall into the same condemnation as the devil.7 Moreover he must have a good testimony with those who are outside, that he not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.11 Likewise women must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.

1 A feithful word. If ony man desirith a bishopriche, he desirith a good werk.2 Therfor it bihoueth a byschop to be with out repreef, the hosebonde of o wijf, sobre, prudent, chast, vertewous, holdinge hospitalite, a techere;3 not youun myche to wyn, not a smytere, but temperat, not ful of chiding, not coueitouse, wel reulinge his hous,4 and haue sones suget with al chastite;5 for if ony man kan not gouerne his house, hou schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not new conuertid to the feith,6 lest he be borun vp in to pride, and falle in to doom of the deuel.7 For it bihoueth hym to haue also good witnessing of hem that ben with outforth, that he falle not in to repreef, and in to the snare of the deuel.8 Also it bihoueth dekenes to be chast, not double tungid, not youun myche to wyn, not suynge foul wynnyng;9 that han the mysterie of feith in clene conscience.10 But be thei preued first, and mynystre so, hauynge no cryme.11 Also it bihoueth wymmen to be chast, not bacbitinge, sobre, feithful in alle thingis.12 Dekenes be hosebondis of o wijf; whiche gouerne wel her sones and her housis.13 For thei that mynystren wel, schulen gete a good degre to hem silf, and myche triste in the feith, that is in Crist Jhesu.14 Sone Timothe, Y write to thee these thingis, hopinge that Y schal come soon to thee;15 but if Y tarie, that thou wite, hou it bihoueth thee to lyue in the hous of God, that is the chirche of lyuynge God, a pilere and sadnesse of treuthe.16 And opynli it is a greet sacrament of pitee, that thing that was schewid in fleisch, it is iustified in spirit, it apperid to aungels, it is prechid to hethene men, it is bileuyd in the world, it is takun vp in glorie.