1 PAUL, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, in the faith of God's elect, and in the knowledge of true godliness;

2 In the hope of eternal life, which the true God promised ages ago;

3 And has in due time revealed his word by our preaching; which preaching has been intrusted to me by the command of God our Saviour;

4 To Titus, a true son in the common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father, and the LORD Jesus Christ our Saviour.

5 For this cause I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are wanting and ordain elders in every city where there is a need as I had commanded you.

6 Appoint only an elder who is blameless, and the husband of one wife, and one who has faithful children who do not swear and who are not intemperate.

7 For an elder must be blameless, as a steward of God; and he must not be self-willed, not quick tempered, not excessive in the use of wine, not too ready to strike with his hand, not a lover of filthy lucre;

8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good things, sober, just, pious, and temperate of worldly desires;

9 Holding fast the doctrine of faith, so that he may be able to comfort by his sound doctrine, and to rebuke those who are proud.

10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers of the people, especially those who belong to the circumcision:

11 Whose mouths must be stopped, for they corrupt many families, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of filthy lucre.

12 One of them, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cre'tians are always liars, vicious beasts with empty bellies.

13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

14 And not give heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who hate the truth.

15 To the pure, all things are pure: but nothing is pure to those who are defiled and faithless; even their mind and conscience is defiled.

16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny him, and they are abominable, and disobedient, condemning every kind of good work.