1 Timothy 5

¹A Senior rebuke not: but beseech as a father: young men, as brethren:

²old women, as mothers: young women, as sisters, in all chastity.

³Honour widows, which are widows indeed.

⁴But if any widow have children or nephews; let her learn first to rule her own house, & to render mutual duty to her parents. For this is acceptable before God.

⁵But she that is a widow indeed and desolate, let her hope in God, and continue in obsecrations & prayers night and day.

⁶For she that is in deliciousness, living is dead.

⁷And this command that they be blameless.

⁸But if any man have not care of his own, and especially of his domesticals, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

⁹Let a widow be chosen of no less than three-score years, which hath been the wife of one husband,

¹⁰having testimony in good works, if she have brought up her children, if she have received to harbour, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have ministered to them that suffer tribulation, if she have followed every good work.

¹¹But the younger widows avoid. For when they shall be wanton in Christ, they will marry:

¹²having damnation, because they have made void their first faith.

¹³And withal idle also they learn to go about from house to house: not only idle, but also full of words & curious, speaking things which they ought not.

¹⁴I will therefore the younger to marry, to bring forth children, to be housewives: to give no occasion to the adversary for to speak evil.

¹⁵For now certain are turned back after Satan.

¹⁶If any faithful man have widows, let him minister to them, and let not the Church be burdened: that there may be sufficient for them that are widows indeed.

¹⁷The priests that rule well, let them be esteemed worthy of double honour: especially they that labour in the word and doctrine.

¹⁸For the Scripture saith: Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth to the ox that treadeth out the corn; and, The work-man is worthy of his hire.

¹⁹Against a priest receive not accusation, but under two or three witnesses.

²⁰Them that sin, reprove before all: that the rest also may have fear.

²¹I testify before God and Christ Jesus, and the elect Angels, that thou keep these things without prejudice, doing nothing by declining to the one part.

²²Impose hands on no man lightly, neither do thou communicate with other men's sins. Keep thyself chaste.

²³Drink not yet water; but use a little wine for thy stomach, and thy often infirmities.

²⁴Certain men's sins be manifest, going before to judgement: and certain men they follow.

²⁵In like manner also good deeds be manifest, and they that are otherwise, cannot be hid.