1 TimothyChapter 5

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¹Do not speak harshly to an older man. Instead, plead with him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers. ²Treat older women like mothers. Treat younger women like sisters, with complete purity. ³Give honor and care to widows who are truly alone and in need. ⁴But a widow may have children or grandchildren. If so, they must first learn to honor God by caring for their own family. They should pay back their parents. This pleases God. ⁵A widow who is truly in need is left all alone. She puts her hope in God. Night and day she keeps on asking God for help and praying. ⁶But a widow who lives just for pleasure is dead, even while she is still alive. ⁷Give these commands to the believers too. Then no one can find fault with them. ⁸If anyone does not take care of his relatives, and most of all his own family, he has turned his back on the faith. He is worse than someone who does not believe. ⁹A widow may be put on the list if she is at least sixty years old. She must have been faithful to her husband. ¹⁰She must be well known for good deeds. Maybe she raised children or welcomed strangers into her home. Maybe she washed the feet of God's people or helped those in trouble. She must have given herself to every kind of good work. ¹¹But do not put younger widows on the list. Their desires may pull them away from Christ. Then they will want to marry. ¹²So they will bring judgment on themselves. This is because they are setting aside the promise they first made.a ¹³Also, they will learn to be lazy. They will go from house to house. They will not only be lazy, but they will also gossip and poke into other people's business. They will talk about things they should not talk about. ¹⁴So I want the younger widows to marry and have children. I want them to manage their homes. Then the enemy will have no reason to speak badly of us. ¹⁵Some have already turned away to follow Satan. ¹⁶Any woman who is a believer may have widows in her family. If so, she must help them. She should not let the church carry that load. Then the church can help the widows who are truly in need. ¹⁷Elders who lead well are worth twice as much honor. This is most true of those who work hard at preaching and teaching. ¹⁸For the Scripture says, "Do not put a muzzle on an ox while it is stomping out the grain." It also says, "The worker has earned his pay." ¹⁹Do not listen to a charge against an elder unless two or three witnesses back it up. ²⁰But those who keep on sinning should be corrected in front of everyone. Then the others will be afraid to sin. ²¹I give you this serious command in front of God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels. Follow these rules without taking sides. Do nothing to favor anyone. ²²Do not be too quick to lay hands on someone. If you do, you share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. ²³Stop drinking only water. Use a little wine instead, because of your stomach and because you are sick so often. ²⁴The sins of some people are easy to see. Their sins go ahead of them to judgment. But the sins of others don't show up until later. ²⁵In the same way, good deeds are easy to see. And even the ones that are not easy to see cannot stay hidden.