Treatment of widows, servants, and the elderly
1 Do not sharply reprimand an older man but encourage him as a father, the younger men as brothers, 2 the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters; do all of this with absolute propriety.
3 Honor those who are widows in the fullest sense of the word. 4 Now if a widow has children or grandchildren, those must do their duty above all and repay what is due to their parents or grandparents, because this is acceptable to God. 5 But the true widow, being without support of any kind, is relying on God and praying fervently night and day. 6 On the other hand, the self-indulgent one is dead on her feet. 7 Direct all of these things so that they may be blameless. 8 But if anyone fails to care for their own, especially those living in their own household, they have renounced the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.
9 Don’t enroll any widow under the age of sixty or who has been married more than once. 9 10 She must have a good reputation for how she raised children, being hospitable, serving the other believers, giving aid to the oppressed, and every good deed that follows from that. 11 Decline younger widows, because their desire to remarry may overcome their pledge to Christ 12 rather than keep their pledge to remain unmarried, bringing judgment upon themselves. 13 On top of that, they develop the habit of going from house to house, being not only idle but speaking nonsense and dabbling in magic.13 14 So I’d like the younger ones to marry, raise a family, and take control over their household, so that they don’t give critics any ground to stand on. 15 Some of these critics have already turned to follow Satan. 16 If any believing woman is related to widows, she should support them instead of burdening the Congregation with them.
High standards for elders
17 The elders who have protected and provided well are worthy of double honor, especially those who have done the work of teaching the Word. 18 As the Writing says, “Do not muzzle the ox threshing grain,” and “The worker deserves compensation.” 19 Don’t listen to a charge against an elder unless there are two or three witnesses, 20 but if the charges are true, the elder must be held up as a public example in order to instill fear in the others. 21 I solemnly declare, in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels, that you watch over these things without bias and without a hint of partiality. 22 And stop being so quick to dedicate people, so that you do not take part in the sins of others; watch yourself and stay holy.
Some general advice
23 Stop drinking the water, and take some wine for your frequent urination problem.
24 Some people’s sins are so obvious they practically convict them before the trial, while other people’s are only revealed later. 25 Likewise, some good deeds are obvious, while others can’t be hidden for long.
- 9 since she would have family to support her
- 13 According to https://www.christianitytoday.com/scot-mcknight/2020/october/worst-nt-translations-relation-to-women-3.html, the Greek word for ‘meddling’ is specific to the magic arts (sorcery). This was a particular problem in Ephesus and the worship of Artemis / Diana, rather than an indictment of all women in all cultures and times.