Parallel Verses
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
Yea, and a bishop must be faultless, the husband of one wife, sober, discreet, honestly appareled, harborous, apt to teach,
New American Standard Bible
King James Version
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Holman Bible
An overseer,
International Standard Version
Therefore, an elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, stable, sensible, respectable, hospitable to strangers, and teachable.
A Conservative Version
The overseer therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, without wine, serious minded, disciplined, loving strangers, able to teach,
American Standard Version
The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Amplified
Now an overseer must be blameless and beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
An Understandable Version
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of [only] one wife, sober-minded [Note: When this word, used here figuratively, is used in its literal sense, it means to abstain from intoxicating drinks], sensible, respectable, hospitable, capable of teaching.
Anderson New Testament
A bishop, then, must be blame less, the husband of one wife, watchful, soberminded, modest, hospitable, able to teach,
Bible in Basic English
The Bishop, then, is to be a man of good name, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, serious-minded, having respect for order, opening his house freely to guests, a ready teacher;
Common New Testament
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
Daniel Mace New Testament
a bishop therefore ought to be of an unspotted character, to have but one wife, to be sober, prudent, grave, hospitable, and qualified for teaching:
Darby Translation
The overseer then must be irreproachable, husband of one wife, sober, discreet, decorous, hospitable, apt to teach;
Godbey New Testament
Therefore it behooves the bishop to be blameless, the husband of one wife, modest, prudent, orderly, hospitable, competent to teach,
Goodspeed New Testament
A superintendent must be a man above reproach, only once married, temperate, sensible, a man of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
John Wesley New Testament
A bishop therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, prudent, of good behaviour, hospitable, apt to teach;
Julia Smith Translation
Therefore an overseer must be irreprehensible, husband of one wife, sober, of sound mind, well arranged, hospitable, giving instruction;
King James 2000
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Lexham Expanded Bible
Therefore the overseer must be irreproachable, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching,
Modern King James verseion
Then it behooves the overseer to be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well-ordered, hospitable, apt at teaching,
Moffatt New Testament
Well, for the office of a bishop a man must be above reproach; he must be only married once, he must be temperate, master of himself, unruffled, hospitable, a skilled teacher,
Montgomery New Testament
The minister should be a man of blameless character; he should be husband of but one wife; he should live a sober, self-restrained, orderly life; he should be hospitable, skilled in teaching;
NET Bible
The overseer then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher,
New Heart English Bible
The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
Noyes New Testament
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, discreet, orderly, hospitable, apt in teaching;
Sawyer New Testament
It is necessary therefore that a bishop should be blameless, a husband of one wife, circumspect, sober, well-behaved, hospitable, apt to teach,
The Emphasized Bible
It is needful, then, for, the overseer, to be irreproachable, a husband, of one wife, sober, of sound mind, orderly, hospitable, apt in teaching,
Thomas Haweis New Testament
A bishop then must be irreprehensible, the husband of one wife, temperate, sagacious, respectable, hospitable, well qualified for teaching;
Twentieth Century New Testament
The Presiding-Officer should be a man of blameless character; a faithful husband; living a temperate, discreet, and well-ordered life; hospitable, and a skillful teacher,
Webster
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Weymouth New Testament
A minister then must be a man of irreproachable character, true to his one wife, temperate, sober-minded, well-behaved, hospitable to strangers, and with a gift for teaching;
Williams New Testament
So the pastor must be a man above reproach, must have only one wife, must be temperate, sensible, well-behaved, hospitable, skillful in teaching;
World English Bible
The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
Worrell New Testament
It is needful, therefore, that the bishop be irreproachable, a husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, hospitable, apt to teach,
Worsley New Testament
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, sober, prudent, grave,
Youngs Literal Translation
it behoveth, therefore, the overseer to be blameless, of one wife a husband, vigilant, sober, decent, a friend of strangers, apt to teach,
Themes
Behaviour » Behaviour, exhortations concerning
Bishop » An overseer, a supervisor
Bishop » The duties of a bishop
Christian ministers » Marriage of
Christian conduct » Blamelessness
Christian conduct » Behaviour, exhortations concerning
Drunkenness » Who should not drink
Foes of the home » Polygamy » Forbidden
Guests » Hospitality to » The duty of
Leaders » Preaching » As teachers of the word
Ministers » Hospitality to » The duty of
Ministers » Work of preaching » As teachers of the word
Ministers » Remuneration of » Teachers
Ministers » Should be » Apt to teach
Ministers » Should be » Blameless
Ministers » Should be » Hospitable
Religious » Support of unfaithful » As teachers of the word
Sobriety » Who should be sober
Sobriety » Required in » God's servants
Sobriety » Required in » Ministers
Social life » Hospitality » The duty of
Interlinear
References
Word Count of 37 Translations in 1 Timothy 3:2
Images 1 Timothy 3:2
Prayers for 1 Timothy 3:2
Verse Info
Context Readings
Qualifications For Overseers
1 This is a true saying: If a man covet the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 Yea, and a bishop must be faultless, the husband of one wife, sober, discreet, honestly appareled, harborous, apt to teach, 3 not drunken, no fighter, not given to filthy lucre: but gentle, abhorring fighting, abhorring covetousness,
Cross References
1 Timothy 5:9
Let no widow be chosen under sixty years old, and such a one as was the wife of one man,
2 Timothy 2:24
But the servant of the Lord must not strive: but must be peaceable unto all men, and apt to teach,
Romans 12:13
Distribute unto the necessity of the saints, and diligently to harbour.
1 Peter 4:9
Be ye harborous, one to another, and that without grudging.
Titus 1:6-9
If any be faultless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, which are not slandered of riot, neither are disobedient.
Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to lodge strangers. For thereby have divers received angels into their houses unawares.
Isaiah 56:10
For his watchmen are all blind, they have altogether no understanding. They are all dumb dogs, no being able to bark; they are sleepery, sluggish, and lie snorting.
Luke 1:6
Both were perfect before God, and walked in all the laws and ordinances of the Lord, that no man could find fault with them.
Philippians 2:15
that ye may be faultless, and pure, and the sons of God; without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and a perverse nation, among which see that ye shine as lights in the world,
1 Timothy 3:10-11
And let them first be proved, and then let them minister, if they be found faultless.
1 Timothy 4:3
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with giving thanks, of them which believe, and know the truth.
Titus 2:2
That the elder men be sober, honest, discreet, sound in the faith, in love and in patience.
Hebrews 3:14
We are partakers of Christ, if we keep sure unto the end the beginning of the first substance,
1 Peter 4:7
The end of all things is at hand. Be ye therefore discreet, and sober, that ye may be apt to prayers.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, and watch. For your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: