New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.
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From Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I'm sent to bring about the faith of God's chosen people and a knowledge of the truth that agrees with godliness.
2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.
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Their faith and this knowledge are based on the hope of eternal life that God, who doesn't lie, promised before time began.
3 And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.
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God revealed his message at the appropriate time through preaching, and I was trusted with preaching this message by the command of God our savior.
4 I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.
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To Titus, my true child in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.
5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.
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The reason I left you behind in Crete was to organize whatever needs to be done and to appoint elders in each city, as I told you.
6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
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Elders should be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, and have faithful children who can't be accused of self-indulgence or rebelliousness.
7 An elder is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.
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This is because supervisors should be without fault as God's managers: they shouldn't be stubborn, irritable, addicted to alcohol, a bully, or greedy.
8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life.
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Instead, they should show hospitality, love what is good, and be reasonable, ethical, godly, and self-controlled.
9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.
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They must pay attention to the reliable message as it has been taught to them so that they can encourage people with healthy instruction and refute those who speak against it.
10 For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation.
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In fact, there are many who are rebellious people, loudmouths, and deceivers, especially some of those who are Jewish believers.
11 They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money.
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They must be silenced because they upset entire households. They teach what they shouldn't to make money dishonestly.
12 Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.”
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Someone who is one of their own prophets said, "People from Crete are always liars, wild animals, and lazy gluttons."
13 This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith.
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This statement is true. Because of this, correct them firmly, so that they can be healthy in their faith.
14 They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.
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They shouldn't pay attention to Jewish myths and commands from people who reject the truth.
15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.
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Everything is clean to those who are clean, but nothing is clean to those who are corrupt and without faith. Instead, their mind and conscience are corrupted.
16 Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
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They claim to know God, but they deny God by the things that they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified to do anything good.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible