1 From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I was chosen and sent to help the faith of God's chosen people and to lead them to the truth taught by our religion, 2 which is based on the hope for eternal life. God, who does not lie, promised us this life before the beginning of time, 3 and at the right time he revealed it in his message. This was entrusted to me, and I proclaim it by order of God our Savior.
4 I write to Titus, my true son in the faith that we have in common.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.
Titus' Work in Crete
5 I left you in Crete, so that you could put in order the things that still needed doing and appoint church elders in every town. Remember my instructions: 6 an elder must be without fault; he must have only one wife, and his children must be believers and not have the reputation of being wild or disobedient. 7 For since a church leader is in charge of God's work, he should be without fault. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered, or a drunkard or violent or greedy for money. 8 He must be hospitable and love what is good. He must be self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the message which can be trusted and which agrees with the doctrine. In this way he will be able to encourage others with the true teaching and also to show the error of those who are opposed to it.
10 For there are many, especially the converts from Judaism, who rebel and deceive others with their nonsense. 11 It is necessary to stop their talk, because they are upsetting whole families by teaching what they should not, and all for the shameful purpose of making money. 12-13 It was a Cretan himself, one of their own prophets, who spoke the truth when he said, “Cretans are always liars, wicked beasts, and lazy gluttons.” For this reason you must rebuke them sharply, so that they may have a healthy faith 14 and no longer hold on to Jewish legends and to human commandments which come from people who have rejected the truth. 15 Everything is pure to those who are themselves pure; but nothing is pure to those who are defiled and unbelieving, for their minds and consciences have been defiled. 16 They claim that they know God, but their actions deny it. They are hateful and disobedient, not fit to do anything good.
1 Ndimi Paulo nlanda we Ndzimu kakale ndili ntumwa wa Jesu Kirisiti kudwilidza bugalimoyo mu bashalugwa be Ndzimu nenge kudwilidza mubali luzibo gwe bundzimu gwe malebeswa, 2 gwe kugalabgwe kwe butjilo gusingapele kwatakapiwa ntolo ntolo nge Ndzimu usingatongo nyepa, 3 ngono kukati mu tjibaka tjakafanila kugadziwabgwe ikoku kukadwila patjena mu dama lawo, nshingo we kudiya wandakapiwa nge ndaulo ye Ndzimu, Ntjidzi wedu.
4 Kuna Tito, mwana wangu mu bugalimoyo gwatinago tose:
Ngoni ne kunyalala kunodwa ku Ndzimu Tate na Kirisiti Jesu Ntjidzi wedu ngadzibe nawe.
Nshingo wa Tito ku Kirete
5 Etji nditjo tjakathama kuti ndi kusiye ku Kirete, kuti upedzise zwakabe zwisapela, kakale ushalule bakulu mu makubungano, mu mizi yose sekwa ndakakudwa. 6 Washalugwa kube nkulu wakafanila abe ali nlume usina nlandu waangatilikiwa, ali nlume we nkadzi nng'ompela ana bana banoteedza bazwadzi kakale basingazwilashilile. 7 Ngekwe ntungamili we gubungano se ali ntjengeti we ng'umba ye Ndzimu, wakafanila kuti asibe ne nlandu. Aazofanila kube nge mazwikudzo kene kube moyana kene kube tjidakwa kene kube govu le fumwa, 8 koga wakafanila kube ne nzhazho, kakale ade zwakanaka, azwilise, abe nthu wakatambunuka, akayengemala kakale ezwibhata. 9 Wakafanila dwilila akasimisila mu dama le malebeswa sekwa akalidiyiwa, kuti ndizo atubule kulidiya nge zila yakalingisana, kuti ndizo akunde banyanyayidzi babe.
10 Nge kuti kuna balume banjinji be bapanduki, banoleba ndebo dzisina tjadzinodwa kakale bali batjengedzi,
11 Bakafanila kunyaladziwa mu zwithu zwabanoleba, nge kuti banodzonga misha yakabakwa, nge kudiyila mbuzilo ye mari isina nshingo bediya ngekwe zwithu zwa basaka fanila kudiya nge kwazo. 12 Mmwe wabo, we nlebesambeli, wakati, “Bakirete banyepi misi yose, bazwibandana zwibiibi, basimbe dze magovu.” 13 Butendeki igogu malebeswa, ndizo ubatjemele wakasima, kuti ndizo babe nge bugalimoyo gwakasima, 14 mu bumo gwe kuteedza zwilebo zwe tjilenje tje Bajuta, kene milayo ye bathu banolasha malebeswa. 15 Ku bathu babuyanana zwithu zose zwibuyanana, koga kuna ibabo babi kakale basingagalemoyo, akuna tjibuyanana. Njalakang'wa dzabo ne hana dzabo imbimbi. 16 Banoleba kuti banoziba Ndzimu, koga banoulandula nge mishingo yabo, banoshimisa, kakale abatohwa, akuna tjakalulwama tjabakalizanila kutjishinga.