Letters to the Churches

Lukas only is with me; Markus having taken, bring with thyself, for he is profitable to me for ministration;

and Tychicus I sent to Ephesus;

the cloak that I left in Troas with Carpus, coming, bring thou and the books--especially the parchments.

Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; may the Lord repay to him according to his works,

of whom also do thou beware, for greatly hath he stood against our words;

in my first defence no one stood with me, but all forsook me, (may it not be reckoned to them!)

and the Lord stood by me, and did strengthen me, that through me the preaching might be fully assured, and all the nations might hear, and I was freed out of the mouth of a lion,

and the Lord shall free me from every evil work, and shall save me --to his heavenly kingdom; to whom is the glory to the ages of the ages! Amen.

Salute Prisca and Aquilas, and Onesiphorus' household;

Erastus did remain in Corinth, and Trophimus I left in Miletus infirm;

be diligent to come before winter. Salute thee doth Eubulus, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.

The Lord Jesus Christ is with thy spirit; the grace is with you! Amen.

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of the choice ones of God, and an acknowledging of truth that is according to piety,

upon hope of life age-during, which God, who doth not lie, did promise before times of ages,

(and He manifested in proper times His word,) in preaching, which I was entrusted with, according to a charge of God our Saviour,

to Titus--true child according to a common faith: Grace, kindness, peace, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour!

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that the things lacking thou mayest arrange, and mayest set down in every city elders, as I did appoint to thee;

if any one is blameless, of one wife a husband, having children stedfast, not under accusation of riotous living or insubordinate--

for it behoveth the overseer to be blameless, as God's steward, not self-pleased, nor irascible, not given to wine, not a striker, not given to filthy lucre;

but a lover of strangers, a lover of good men, sober-minded, righteous, kind, self-controlled,

holding--according to the teaching--to the stedfast word, that he may be able also to exhort in the sound teaching, and the gainsayers to convict;

for there are many both insubordinate, vain-talkers, and mind-deceivers--especially they of the circumcision--

whose mouth it behoveth to stop, who whole households do overturn, teaching what things it behoveth not, for filthy lucre's sake.

A certain one of them, a prophet of their own, said--`Cretans! always liars, evil beasts, lazy bellies!'

this testimony is true; for which cause convict them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,