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

¹Msemo huu ni wa kweli: mtu akitaka kuwa kiongozi katika kanisa, huyo anatamani kazi nzuri.

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

²Basi, kiongozi wa kanisa anapaswa awe mtu asiye na lawama; anapaswa awe na mke mmoja tu, awe mwenye kiasi, nidhamu na utaratibu; ni lazima awe mkarimu na anayeweza kufundisha;

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

³asiwe mlevi au mtu wa matata, bali awe mpole, apendaye amani; asiwe mtu wa kupenda fedha;

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

⁴anapaswa awe mtu awezaye kuongoza vema nyumba yake, na kuwafanya watoto wake wawe watii kwa heshima yote.

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

⁵Maana kama mtu hawezi kuongoza vema nyumba yake, atawezaje kulitunza kanisa la Mungu?

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

⁶Mtu ambaye hajakomaa bado katika imani asifanywe kuwa kiongozi katika kanisa, asije akajaa majivuno na kuhukumiwa kama vile Ibilisi alivyohukumiwa.

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

⁷Anapaswa awe mwenye sifa njema kati ya watu walio nje ya kanisa, ili asije akalaumiwa na kuanguka katika mtego wa Ibilisi.

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

⁸Wasaidizi katika kanisa wanapaswa pia kuwa watu wenye tabia njema na wanyofu; wasiwe wanywaji mno wa divai au wenye tamaa ya fedha;

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

⁹wanapaswa kuzingatia kwa dhamiri njema ukweli wa ndani wa imani.

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

¹⁰Ni lazima kwanza wathibitishwe, na wakionekana kuwa wanafaa, basi, watoe huduma yao.

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

¹¹Wake zao wanapaswa pia kuwa na tabia njema, wasiowasengenya watu, wenye kiasi na waaminifu katika mambo yote.

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

¹²Msaidizi katika kanisa lazima awe na mke moja tu, na awezaye kuongoza vema watoto wake na nyumba yake.

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.

¹³Maana wasaidizi wanaofanya kazi yao vizuri hujipatia msimamo mzuri, na wanaweza kusema bila hofu juu ya imani yao katika Kristo Yesu.

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

¹⁴Ninakuandikia barua hii nikiwa na matumaini ya kuja kwako hivi karibuni.

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.

¹⁵Lakini kama nikicheleweshwa, basi, barua hii itakufahamisha mwenendo tunaopaswa kuwa nao katika nyumba ya Mungu, ambayo ni kanisa la Mungu aliye hai, na ambalo ni nguzo na msingi wa ukweli.

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.

¹⁶Hakuna mashaka yoyote juu ya ukuu wa siri ya dini yetu: Alionekana katika umbo la kibinadamu alithibitishwa na Roho kuwa ni mwadilifu, akaonekana na malaika. Alihubiriwa kati ya mataifa, aliaminiwa popote ulimwenguni, akachukuliwa juu mbinguni katika utukufu.