1  Faithful is this word: If anyone aspires to the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

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

1  It is a faithful saying: if a man desires the episcopate, he desires a good work.

2  It is necessary, therefore, for a bishop to be irreproachable, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, well-behaved, hospitable, skillful at teaching;

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

2  He who becomes an bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, have an alert mind, must be sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, and apt at teaching;

3  not given to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not loving money;

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

3  not a drunkard, not combative but restrained, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

4  one ruling his own house well, having [his] children in submission with all reverence;

4  but a man who leads his own house well, having children who are subordinate with all chastity.

4  One who rules well his own household, and keeps his children under submission to bring them up with all purity.

5  (for if one does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

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

5  For if a man does not know how to rule well his own household, how shall he take care of the church of God?

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

6  He must not be a new convert, lest, being elated by pride, he may fall under the sentence of the devil.

7  Moreover he must have a good testimony among those outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

7  And it is necessary for him also to have good testimony from those who are outside, so that he may not fall into disrepute and the snare of the devil.

7  Moreover, he must have a good report from outsiders; lest he fall into reproach and the snares of the devil.