| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, | 1From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God's chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness, |
| 2in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began | 2in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the ages began. |
| 3and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; | 3But now in his own time he has made his message evident through the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior. |
| 4To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. | 4To Titus, my genuine son in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior! |
| 5This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— | 5The reason I left you in Crete was to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. |
| 6if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. | 6An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion. |
| 7For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, | 7For the overseer must be blameless as one entrusted with God's work, not arrogant, not prone to anger, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for gain. |
| 8but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. | 8Instead he must be hospitable, devoted to what is good, sensible, upright, devout, and self-controlled. |
| 9He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. | 9He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching and correct those who speak against it. |
| 10For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. | 10For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, |
| 11They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. | 11who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught. |
| 12One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” | 12A certain one of them, in fact, one of their own prophets, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." |
| 13This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, | 13Such testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply that they may be healthy in the faith |
| 14not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. | 14and not pay attention to Jewish myths and commands of people who reject the truth. |
| 15To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. | 15All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted. |
| 16They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. | 16They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed. |
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