1 Timothy 5:9–16

⁹A widow is to be ^aput on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been ^bthe wife of one man,

¹⁰having a reputation for ^agood works; and if she has brought up children, if she has ^bshown hospitality to strangers, if she ^chas washed the ¹saints’ feet, if she has ^dassisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.

¹¹But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel ^asensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married,

¹²thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous ¹pledge.

¹³At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also ^agossips and ^bbusybodies, talking about ^cthings not proper to mention.

¹⁴Therefore, I want younger widows to get ^amarried, bear children, ^bkeep house, and ^cgive the enemy no occasion for reproach;

¹⁵for some ^ahave already turned aside to follow ^bSatan.

¹⁶If any woman who is a believer ^ahas dependent widows, she must ^bassist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are ^cwidows indeed.