9 aholding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in bsound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

10 aFor there are many brebellious men, cempty talkers and deceivers, especially dthose of the circumcision,

11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting awhole families, teaching bthings they should not teach cfor the sake of sordid gain.

12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “aCretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

13 This testimony is true. For this reason areprove them bseverely so that they may be csound in the faith,

14 not paying attention to Jewish amyths and bcommandments of men who cturn away from the truth.

15 aTo the pure, all things are pure; but bto those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their cmind and their conscience are defiled.

16 aThey profess to know God, but by their deeds they bdeny Him, being cdetestable and ddisobedient and eworthless ffor any good deed.