¹ Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; ² In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; ³ But has in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; ⁴ To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. ⁵ For this cause left I you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed you: ⁶ If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused+ of riot or unruly. ⁷ For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; ⁸ But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; ⁹ Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. ¹⁰ For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: ¹¹ Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they should not, for filthy lucre's sake. ¹² One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. ¹³ This witness is true. why+ + rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; ¹⁴ Not giving care to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. ¹⁵ Unto the pure all things are pure+ : but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. ¹⁶ They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.