1 An older man don’t reprove harshly, but appeal to him respectfully as you would your own father. Younger men treat like brothers, 2 older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters, with absolute purity.

3 As for widows, honor and provide help to those who are truly in need. 4 If a widow has children, though, or grandchildren, these must first learn to fulfill their sacred duty toward their own family, and to repay their parents and grandparents what is owed them. This, you see, is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 A widow who is truly in need, however, and completely on her own, has placed her hope in God and presents her pleas and prayers to him night and day. 6 A widow who is self-indulgent, however, is, despite the breath in her body, dead. 7 Have the people carry out, too, these instructions, so that they may be above reproach. 8 If someone refuses to provide for his own relatives, however, and especially for the members of his household, the faith he has denied; he is worse than an unbeliever. 9 A widow may not be put on the list unless she is at least sixty years old, was to her husband faithful,+ 10 having a reputation for good deeds: If she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality, if she has washed the feet of the Lord’s holy people,+ if she has come to the help of the afflicted, if she has devoted herself to good deeds of all kinds. 11 Widows who are younger, however, you are not to include on the list, because when their passions become stronger than their vow to the Messiah, they want to remarry, 12 and as a result incur punishment, because they have on their earlier promise turned their backs. 13 Besides that, they get into the habit of doing nothing productive, idling about from one house to the next. And not only this, but they are also gossips and meddlesome busybodies, talking about things they shouldn’t. 14 In light of these things, I earnestly bid younger widows to remarry, have children, manage their homes, and give the adversary not even the slightest opportunity to stir up slander. 15 For some have strayed to follow Satan already. 16 If a believing woman has widows in her family, she is to help them and not place a financial strain on the assembly, so that it may focus its help on those widows who are truly in need.

17 Elders who lead well are to be considered deserving of twofold honor, especially those who are working hard at proclaiming the message and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “An ox, while it is treading out the grain, ˢyou must not muzzle and keep from eating,”+ and, “a worker is of his wages certainly deserving.”+ 19 Against an elder do not accept an accusation, unless it can be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 20 In the case of those who are in fact sinning, it is in front of everyone that you are to clearly but firmly point out their fault to them, so that the rest, too, may take strong warning. 21 I give you this solemn charge in the presence of God and Messiah Jesus and the chosen angels: These instructions you are to carry out without partiality, doing nothing out of favoritism. 22 Hands you are to lay on no one too quickly; don’t share responsibility for their sins. Yourself you must keep pure. 23 (Stop drinking only water, but use for your stomach a little wine, since you are sick so often.) 24 The sins of some people are very easy to see, going on ahead of them to judgment. For others, however, their sins make it there only after they do. 25 In the same way, good deeds, too, are themselves easy to see, and even those that are not so immediately apparent are of remaining hidden incapable.