1 Timothy 4–6

4Now ^athe Spirit ^bspeaketh expressly, that ^cin the latter times some shall ^ddepart from the faith, giving heed to ^eseducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; ^2fSpeaking lies ^gin hypocrisy; ^hhaving their conscience seared with a hot iron; ³ⁱForbidding to marry, ^jand commanding ^kto abstain from meats, ^lwhich God hath created to be received ^mwith thanksgiving of them which believe and ⁿknow the truth. ⁴For ^oevery creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received ^mwith thanksgiving: ⁵For it is sanctified ^oby the word of God and ^pprayer. ⁶If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, ^qnourished up in the words of faith and of ^qqgood doctrine, whereunto thou hast ^rattained. ⁷But ^srefuse profane and old wives’ ^tfables, and ^uexercise thyself rather unto ^vgodliness. ⁸For ^wbodily exercise profiteth ^||little: ^xbut ^vgodliness is profitable unto all things, ^yhaving promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. ^9zThis is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. ¹⁰For therefore ^awe both labour and suffer reproach, because we ^btrust in ^cthe living God, who is ^dthe Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. ^11eThese things command and teach.

^12fLet no man despise ^gthy youth; but ^hbe thou ⁱan example of the believers, in word, in ^jconversation, in ^kcharity, in spirit, in ^kfaith, in ^lpurity. ¹³Till I come, give attendance to reading, to ^mexhortation, to ⁿdoctrine. ^14oNeglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee ^pby prophecy, ^qwith the laying on of ^rthe hands of the presbytery. ¹⁵Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy ^sprofiting may appear ^||to all. ^16tTake heed unto thyself, and unto the ⁿdoctrine; continue in them: for in doing this ^uthou shalt both save thyself, and ^xthem that hear thee.

5^aRebuke not ^ban elder, but intreat him as a father; and ^bbthe younger men as brethren; ²The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all ^cpurity. ³Honour widows ^dthat are widows indeed. ⁴But if any widow have children or ^enephews, let them learn first ^fto shew ^||piety at home, and to requite their parents: ^gfor that is good and acceptable before God. ⁵Now ^dshe that is a widow indeed, and desolate, ^htrusteth in God, and ⁱcontinueth in supplications and prayers ^jnight and day. ⁶But she that liveth ^||in pleasure ^kis dead while she liveth. ⁷And ^lthese things give in charge, that they may be ^mblameless. ⁸But if any provide not for ⁿhis own, and specially for ^othose of his own ^||house, he hath ^pdenied the faith, and is worse than ^qan infidel. ⁹Let not a widow be ^||taken into the number under threescore years old, ^rhaving been the wife of one man, ^10sWell reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have ^tlodged strangers, if she have ^uwashed the saints’ feet, if she have ^vrelieved the afflicted, if she have ^wdiligently followed every ^xgood work. ¹¹But the younger widows ^yrefuse: for when they have begun to ^zwax wanton against Christ, ^athey will marry; ¹²Having damnation, because they have ^bcast off their first faith. ¹³And withal they learn to be idle, ^cwandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but ^dtattlers also and ^ebusybodies, speaking things which they ought not. ¹⁴I will therefore ^fthat the younger women marry, bear children, ^gguide the house, ^hgive none ⁱoccasion to the adversary ^†to speak reproachfully. ¹⁵For some are already ^jturned aside after ^kSatan. ¹⁶If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them ^lrelieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may ^lrelieve ^mthem that are widows indeed.

¹⁷Let ⁿthe elders ^othat rule well ^pbe counted worthy of ^qdouble ^rhonour, especially they who labour in the word and ^sdoctrine. ¹⁸For ^tthe scripture saith, ^uThou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, ^wThe labourer is worthy of his reward. ¹⁹Against ⁿan elder receive not an accusation, but ^||xbefore two or three witnesses. ²⁰Them that sin ^yrebuke ^zbefore all, ^athat others also may fear. ^21bcI charge thee ^cbefore God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things ^||without preferring one before another, ^ddoing nothing by partiality. ^22eLay hands ^eesuddenly on no man, neither ^fbe partaker of other men’s sins: ^gkeep thyself pure. ²³Drink no longer water, but use ^ha little wine ⁱfor thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities. ²⁴Some men’s ^jsins are ^kopen beforehand, ^lgoing before to judgment; and some men they follow after. ²⁵Likewise also the good works of some are ^kmanifest beforehand; and ^mthey that are otherwise cannot be hid.

6Let as many ^aservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that ^bthe name of God and ^chis ^ddoctrine be not ^eblasphemed. ²And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are ^fbrethren; but rather do them service, because they are ^||faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. ^gThese things teach and exhort. ³If any man ^hteach otherwise, and consent not to ⁱwholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine ^kwhich is according to godliness; ⁴He ^lis ^||proud, ^mknowing nothing, but ^||doting about ⁿquestions and ⁿⁿstrifes of words, whereof cometh ^oenvy, ^ostrife, ^prailings, evil surmisings, ^5||qPerverse disputings of ^rmen of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, ^ssupposing that gain is godliness: ^tfrom such withdraw thyself. ⁶But ^ugodliness ^vwith contentment ^wis great gain. ⁷For ^xwe brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸And ^yhaving food and raiment let us be therewith ^vcontent. ⁹But ^zthey that will be rich fall into temptation and ^aa snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, ^bwhich drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰For ^cthe love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have ^||erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. ¹¹But thou, ^dO man of God, ^eflee these things; and ^effollow after righteousness, ^ggodliness, ^hfaith, ^hlove, patience, ^hhmeekness. ^12ijFight the good ^kfight of faith, ^llay hold on eternal life, whereunto ^llthou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. ^13mI give thee charge ⁿin the sight of God, ^owho quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, ^pwho before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good ^||confession; ¹⁴That thou ^qkeep this commandment without spot, ^runrebukeable, ^suntil ^tthe appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: ¹⁵Which ^uin his times he shall shew, who is ^vthe blessed and only ^wPotentate, ^xyzthe King of kings, and ^yLord of lords; ^16zWho only hath immortality, ^zadwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; ^bwhom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be ^cdhonour and ^epower everlasting. Amen.

¹⁷Charge them that are rich in ^eethis world, that they ^fbe not highminded, ^gnor ^htrust in ^†iuncertain riches, but in ^hjthe living God, ^kwho giveth us richly all things to enjoy; ¹⁸That they do good, that ^lthey be rich in good works, ready to distribute, ^||mwilling to communicate; ¹⁹ⁿLaying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may ^olay hold on eternal life. ²⁰O Timothy, keep ^pthat which is committed to thy trust, avoiding ^qprofane and vain babblings, and ^roppositions of science falsely so called: ²¹Which some professing ^shave erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

^a