¹Ishoko rakatendeka rekuti: Kana munhu achishuva basa reutariri, unoshuva basa rakanaka;

¹Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

²naizvozvo mutariri unofanira kuva usina chaangapomerwa, murume wemukadzi umwe, wakangwara, wakasvinura, unozvibata, unoitira vaeni rudo, unoziva kudzidzisa,

²The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

³usiri chidhakwa, usingafariri kurwa, usingakariri mibairo yakaipa; asi wakadzikama, usina gakava, usingakariri mari;

³no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money;

⁴unobata imba yake zvakanaka, une vana vanozviisa pasi nekukudza kose;

⁴one that ruleth well his own house, having [his] children in subjection with all gravity;

⁵Nekuti kana munhu asingazivi kubata imba yake, ungachengeta sei kereke yaMwari?

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

⁶Asava mutendi mutsva, kuti zvimwe nekukudzwa angawira mukutonga kwadhiabhorosi

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

⁷Uyezve unofanira kupupurirwa zvakanaka nevari kunze, kuti zvimwe arege kuwira mukumhurwa nemumusungo wadhiabhorosi.

⁷Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

⁸Saizvozvo vadhikoni* ngavave vanokudzwa, vasina manzwi maviri, vasingadi waini zhinji, vasingakariri fuma yakaipa;

⁸Deacons in like manner [must be] grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

⁹vanochengeta chakavanzika cherutendo muhana yakachena.

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

¹⁰Naivava ngavatange kuidzwawo, ipapo vashumire kana vasina chavangapomerwa.

¹⁰And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless.

¹¹Saizvozvowo vakadzi vavo ngavave vanokudzwa, kwete vacheri, vakasvinura, vakatendeka pazvose.

¹¹Women in like manner [must be] grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

¹²Vadhikoni ngavave varume vane mukadzi umwe, vanobata vana vavo nedzimba dzavo zvakanaka.

¹²Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling [their] children and their own houses well.

¹³Nekuti avo vakashumira zvakanaka, vanozviwanira chimiro chakanaka, nekutsunga kukuru parutendo rwuri muna Kristu Jesu.

¹³For they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴Zvinhu izvi ndinokunyorera, ndichitarisira kuuya kwauri nekukurumidza;

¹⁴These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly;

¹⁵asi kana ndikanonoka, ndinoda kuti uzive kuti unofanira kufamba sei mumba maMwari, inova kereke yaMwari mupenyu, mbiru nehwaro hwechokwadi.

¹⁵but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

¹⁶Hazvipikiswi kuti chakavanzika chekunamata Mwari chikuru; Mwari wakaratidzwa panyama, wakanzi wakarurama pamweya, wakaonekwa nevatumwa, akaparidzwa kuvahedheni, akatendwa panyika, akakwidzwa mukubwinya.

¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.