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

¹This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer or, superintendents, or bishops , he desires a good work.

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

²The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;

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

³not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

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

⁴one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;

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

⁵(but if a man doesn’t know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

⁶Asava mutendi mutsva, kuti zvimwe nekukudzwa angawira mukutonga kwadhiabhorosi

⁶not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

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

⁷Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.

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

⁸ Servants or, Deacons. , in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money;

⁹vanochengeta chakavanzika cherutendo muhana yakachena.

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

¹⁰Naivava ngavatange kuidzwawo, ipapo vashumire kana vasina chavangapomerwa.

¹⁰Let them also first be tested; then let them serve or, serve as deacons if they are blameless.

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

¹¹Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

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

¹²Let servants or, 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 those who have served well or, served well as deacons gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴Zvinhu izvi ndinokunyorera, ndichitarisira kuuya kwauri nekukurumidza;

¹⁴These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;

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

¹⁵but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly 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.

¹⁶Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.