1 Timothy 5

5Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, ²older women as mothers, and with all propriety, the younger women as sisters.

The Support of Widows

³Support ^dwidows ^ewho are genuinely widows. ⁴But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God. ⁵The real widow, left all alone, has put her hope in God ^fand continues night and day in her petitions and prayers; ⁶however, she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. ^g7Command this also, so they won’t be blamed. ⁸But if anyone does not provide ^hfor his own, that is his own household, he has denied the faith ⁱand is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹No widow should be placed on the official support list ^junless she is at least 60 years old, has been the wife of one husband, ¹⁰and is well known for good works ^k—that is, if she has brought up children, shown hospitality, ^lwashed the saints’ feet, ^mhelped the afflicted, ⁿand devoted herself to every good work. ^o11But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they are drawn away from Christ by desire, they want to marry ^p12and will therefore receive condemnation ^qbecause they have renounced their original pledge. ¹³At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips ^rand busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say. ¹⁴Therefore, I want younger women to marry, ^shave children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us. ^t15For some have already turned away ^uto follow Satan. ¹⁶If any ^vbelieving woman has widows in her family, she should help them, and the church should not be burdened, so that it can help those who are genuinely widows.

Honoring the Elders

¹⁷The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, ^wespecially those who work hard ^xat preaching and teaching. ¹⁸For the Scripture says:

Do not muzzle an ox

while it is treading out the grain, ^yzand,

the worker is worthy of his wages. ^a

¹⁹Don’t accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported by two or three witnesses. ^b20Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will also be afraid. ²¹I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to observe ^cthese things without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism. ²²Don’t be too quick to appoint ^deanyone as an elder, and don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. ^f23Don’t continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. ²⁴Some people’s sins are obvious, going before them to judgment, ^gbut the sins of others surface ^hlater. ²⁵Likewise, good works are obvious, and those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden.