¹ Faithful is the word: If anyone reaches out to overseership, he desires a good work.

² Then it behooves the overseer to be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well-ordered, hospitable, apt at teaching,

³ not a drinker, not quarrelsome, not greedy of ill gain, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous,

⁴ ruling his own house well, having children in subjection with all honor.

⁵ (For if a man does not know to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

⁶ not a novice, lest being puffed up he may fall into the condemnation of the Devil.

⁷ But he must also have a good report from those on the outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil.

⁸ Likewise the deacons are to be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of ill gain,

⁹ having the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

¹⁰ And let these also first be tested, then let them use the office of a deacon, being blameless.

¹¹ Even so their wives are to be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

¹² Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and households well.

¹³ For they having served well gain a good grade for themselves, and much boldness in the faith, those in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ I write these things to you, hoping to come to you shortly.

¹⁵ But if I should delay, that you may know how you ought to behave in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

¹⁶ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among nations, believed on in the world, and received up into glory.