Rules for Living with Others

5 Do not ·speak angrily to [rebuke; speak harshly to] an older man, but ·plead with [exhort; encourage] him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers, ² older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters. ·Always treat them in a pure way [^L…with complete purity].

³ ·Take care of [Provide support for; or Honor; Show respect to; ^Cboth honor and financial help are likely in mind] widows who are truly widows. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to ·do their duty to [or practice their piety/godliness toward] their own ·family [household] and to repay their parents or grandparents. [^LFor] That pleases God. ⁵ The true widow, who is all alone, puts her hope in God and continues ·to pray night and day for God’s help [^Lin petitions and prayers night and day]. ⁶ But the widow who ·uses her life to please herself [lives in luxury; is self-indulgent] is really dead while she is alive. ⁷ ·Tell [Command; Instruct] the believers to do these things so that ·no one can criticize them [they may be blameless/above reproach]. ⁸ Whoever does not care for his ·own relatives [^Lown], especially his own family members, has ·turned against [denied; rejected] the faith and is worse than ·someone who does not believe in God [^Lan unbeliever].

⁹ To be on the list of widows [^Cprobably a list of those widows who received regular support from the church], a woman must be at least sixty years old. She must have been ·faithful to her husband [or married only once; or the wife of one husband]. ¹⁰ She must be known for her good works—works such as raising her children, ·welcoming strangers [practicing hospitality], washing the feet of ·God’s people [^Tthe saints], helping those in ·trouble [distress; hardship], and ·giving [devoting] her life to do all kinds of good deeds.

¹¹ But do not put younger widows on that list. After they give themselves to Christ, they are pulled away from him by their physical desires, and then they want to marry again. ¹² They will be judged for ·not doing what they first promised to do [breaking/despising their first pledge]. ¹³ Besides that, they learn to ·waste their time [be idle], going from house to house. And they not only ·waste their time [are idlers] but also begin to gossip and ·busy themselves with other people’s lives [become busybodies/meddlers], saying things they should not say. ¹⁴ So I want the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their homes. Then ·no enemy will [or the adversary will not; ^CSatan] have any ·reason [or opportunity] ·to criticize them [or for maligning/slandering (us/them)]. ¹⁵ But some have already ·turned [wandered; strayed] away to follow Satan.

¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should ·care for [provide support for] them herself. The church should not ·have to care for them [^Lcarry this burden]. Then it will be able to ·take care of [support] those who are truly widows.

¹⁷ The elders who lead the church well should receive ·double honor [or both honor and remuneration; ^Cprobably includes both respect and financial support; see v. 3], especially those who work hard by ·speaking [preaching] and teaching, ¹⁸ because the Scripture says: “When an ox is ·working in the grain [threshing], do not ·cover its mouth to keep it from eating [muzzle it; Deut. 25:4],” and “A worker ·should be given his pay [deserves his wages; ^Tis worthy of his hire; Luke 10:7].”

¹⁹ Do not listen to someone who accuses an elder, without two or three witnesses [Deut. 19:15]. ²⁰ ·Reprimand [Rebuke] those who continue sinning. Do this in front of the whole church so that the others will ·have a warning [^Lfear; or show reverence].

²¹ Before God and Christ Jesus and the ·chosen [elect] angels, I ·command [solemnly charge] you to ·do [keep; guard] these things without ·taking sides [prejudice] or showing favoritism of any kind.

²² ·Think carefully before you [^LDo not quickly/hastily] ·appoint someone to leadership [^Llay your hands on anyone; 4:14; ^Ca way of dedicating someone to Christian service], and don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

²³ Stop drinking only water, but drink a little wine to help your stomach and your frequent sicknesses.

²⁴ The sins of some people are ·easy to see [obvious; evident] ·even before they are judged [or arriving at the judgment before they do; or preceding them into court; ^Lgoing before them to judgment], but the sins of others ·are seen only later [arrive later; ^Lfollow after]. ²⁵ So also good deeds are ·easy to see [obvious; evident], but even those that are not easily seen cannot stay hidden [^Csince they will be revealed on judgment day].