1 Timothy 5:3–16

³Take care of the widows who really need help. ⁴But suppose a widow has children or grandchildren. They should first learn to put their faith into practice. They should care for their own family. In that way they will pay back their parents and grandparents. That pleases God.

⁵The widow who really needs help and is left all alone puts her hope in God. Night and day she keeps on praying. Night and day she asks God for help. ⁶But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she is still living.

⁷Give those directions to the people also. Then no one can be blamed. ⁸Everyone should provide for his own relatives. Most of all, everyone should take care of his own family. If he doesn’t, he has left the faith. He is worse than someone who doesn’t believe.

⁹No widow should be put on the list of widows unless she is more than 60 years old. She must also have been faithful to her husband. ¹⁰She must be well known for the good things she does. That includes bringing up children. It includes inviting guests into her home. It includes washing the feet of God’s people. It includes helping those who are in trouble. A widow should spend her time doing all kinds of good things.

¹¹Don’t put younger widows on that kind of list. They might want pleasure more than they want Christ. Then they would want to get married again. ¹²If they do that, they will be judged. They have broken their first promise.

¹³Besides, they get into the habit of having nothing to do. They go around from house to house. They waste time. They talk about others. They bother people. They say things they shouldn’t say.

¹⁴So here is the advice I give to younger widows. Get married. Have children. Take care of your own homes. Don’t give the enemy the chance to tell lies about you. ¹⁵In fact, some have already turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶Suppose a woman is a believer and has widows in her family. She should help them. She shouldn’t let the church pay the expenses. Then the church can help the widows who really need it.