Responsibilities toward Believers
1 Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat the younger men as your brothers, 2 the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, with all purity.
3 Show respect for widows who really are all alone. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn first to carry out their religious duties toward their own family and in this way repay their parents and grandparents, because that is what pleases God. 5 A widow who is all alone, with no one to take care of her, has placed her hope in God and continues to pray and ask him for his help night and day. 6 But a widow who gives herself to pleasure has already died, even though she lives. 7 Give them these instructions, so that no one will find fault with them. 8 But if any do not take care of their relatives, especially the members of their own family, they have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.
9 Do not add any widow to the list of widows unless she is over sixty years of age. In addition, she must have been married only once 10 and have a reputation for good deeds: a woman who brought up her children well, received strangers in her home, performed humble duties for other Christians, helped people in trouble, and devoted herself to doing good.
11 But do not include younger widows in the list; because when their desires make them want to marry, they turn away from Christ, 12 and so become guilty of breaking their earlier promise to him. 13 They also learn to waste their time in going around from house to house; but even worse, they learn to be gossips and busybodies, talking of things they should not. 14 So I would prefer that the younger widows get married, have children, and take care of their homes, so as to give our enemies no chance of speaking evil of us. 15 For some widows have already turned away to follow Satan. 16 But if any Christian woman has widows in her family, she must take care of them and not put the burden on the church, so that it may take care of the widows who are all alone.
17 The elders who do good work as leaders should be considered worthy of receiving double pay, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain” and “Workers should be given their pay.” 19 Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or more witnesses. 20 Rebuke publicly all those who commit sins, so that the rest may be afraid.
21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the holy angels I solemnly call upon you to obey these instructions without showing any prejudice or favor to anyone in anything you do. 22 Be in no hurry to lay hands on people to dedicate them to the Lord's service. Take no part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
23 Do not drink water only, but take a little wine to help your digestion, since you are sick so often.
24 The sins of some people are plain to see, and their sins go ahead of them to judgment; but the sins of others are seen only later. 25 In the same way good deeds are plainly seen, and even those that are not so plain cannot be hidden.
Pienākumi pret citiem
1 Vecāku vīru nerāj, bet pārliecini kā tēvu, jaunākos – kā brāļus, 2 vecākas sievietes pamāci kā mātes, jaunākas kā māsas – visā šķīstībā. 3 Godā atraitnes, kas patiesi ir tādas. 4 Bet, ja kādai atraitnei ir bērni vai mazbērni, vispirms lai viņi mācās godbijīgi izturēties pret sava nama ļaudīm un ar pateicību atlīdzināt priekštečiem, jo Dievam tas ir patīkami. 5 Patiesa atraitne, kas palikusi viena, cer uz Dievu un nododas lūgšanām un aizlūgšanām dienu un nakti, 6 bet, kas dzīvo savām iegribām, tā, vēl dzīva būdama, jau ir mirusi. 7 To pavēlēdams, gādā, lai visi būtu bez vainas. 8 Bet, ja kāds par savējiem negādā, sevišķi par mājiniekiem, tas ticību ir atmetis un ir sliktāks par neticīgo. 9 Atraitņu kārtā ieskaitāma tā, kurai nav mazāk par sešdesmit gadiem, kas bijusi viena vīra sieva 10 un par kuras krietnajiem darbiem ir labas liecības – viņa ir uzaudzinājusi bērnus, ir bijusi viesmīlīga, ir mazgājusi svētajiem kājas, ir palīdzējusi cietušajiem un visādus labus darbus uzticīgi darījusi. 11 Gados jaunākās par atraitnēm neieskaiti, jo, kad viņas, juteklisko tieksmju pārņemtas, novēršas no Kristus, viņas grib precēties un 12 nāk sodībā par to, ka savu sākotnējo apņemšanos ir atmetušas. 13 Turklāt bezdarbībā tās radinās staigāt pa mājām, viņas ir ne tikai bezdarbīgas, bet arī pļāpīgas un uzbāzīgas, kas runā to, ko neklājas. 14 Tā nu es gribu, ka jaunākās precas, dzemdē bērnus, pārvalda mājas, nedodot nekādu ieganstu neslavas celšanai no pretinieka puses, 15 jo dažas jau ir novērsušās, sekodamas sātanam. 16 Ja kādai ticīgai ģimenē ir atraitnes, lai tā par tām rūpējas, bet lai netiek apgrūtināta draudze, kurai jārūpējas par patiesajām atraitnēm. 17 Presbiteri, kas ir labi vadītāji, lai ir divtik liela goda cienīgi, sevišķi tie, kas pūlas pie vārda un mācības. 18 Jo Raksti saka: neliec uzpurni vērsim pie kulšanas! – un: strādnieks ir savas algas cienīgs. 19 Pret presbiteriem necel apsūdzību, vien tad, ja ir divi vai trīs liecinieki. 20 Tos, kas ir sagrēkojušies, atmasko pārkāpumā visu priekšā, lai arī pārējie bītos. 21 Es to apstiprinu Dieva un Kristus Jēzus, un izredzēto eņģeļu priekšā, lai tu to visu ievēro bez aizspriedumiem un nedari neko, nosliecoties uz vienu vai otru pusi. 22 Nevienam nesteidzies uzlikt rokas un neesi līdzdalībnieks citu grēkos. Turi sevi šķīstu! 23 Nedzer vairs tikai ūdeni, bet lieto arī nedaudz vīna sava kuņģa un biežo slimību dēļ. 24 Dažu cilvēku grēki ir redzami skaidri, tā ka tie saņem sodu uzreiz, bet citiem sods nāk vēlāk. 25 Tāpat arī labie darbi – ir tādi, kas skaidri redzami tūlīt, bet netiks apslēpti arī tie, kas neparādās uzreiz.
