In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

[It is being sent] to Titus, my true son, [who shares] in a common faith. [May you have] unearned favor and peace [which come] from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

I have left you behind in Crete in order that you may set right the things which still require attention, and appoint Elders in every town, as I directed you to do;

If any be faultless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, which are not slandered of riot, neither are disobedient.

holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.

Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

One being of themselves, which was a poet of their own said, "The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and slow bellies."

This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;

and healthy language which no one can censure, so that our opponents may feel ashamed at having nothing evil to say against us.

not robbing their masters, but shewing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the teaching which is of our Saviour God in all things.

For the grace of God which carries with it salvation for all men has appeared,

which gave himself for us, to redeem us from all unrighteousness, and to purge us a peculiar people unto himself, fervently given unto good works.

But when the goodness of God our Saviour, and His love to man, dawned upon us, not in consequence of things which we,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with all of you.

and to the sister Apphia and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly which is in thine house.

I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, (Hearing of thy faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus,

Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,

yet out of [mutual] love, I appeal to you [to do what I ask]. For I Paul, am an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus. [Note: Most calculations suggest that Paul was approximately 60 years old, which was considered a relatively advanced age in that day].

Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

I am sending him back to you, which is all the same as sending my very heart.

whom I did wish to retain to myself, that in thy behalf he might minister to me in the bonds of the good news,

but I did not want to do anything without first getting your consent, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.

Yea, brother, I wish to have joy in thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

Having confidence in your obedience I have written to you, knowing that you will do even more than those things which I say.

God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in [the voices and writings of] the prophets in many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the truth], and in many ways,

Which son, being the brightness of his glory, and very image of his substance, bearing up all things with the word of his power, hath in his own person purged our sins, and is sitten on the righthand of the majesty on high,

having become as much superior to angels, since He has inherited a more excellent and glorious name than they [that is, Son—the name above all names].

For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity: Wherefore God, which is thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

Are they not all spirits to do service, sent for to minister for their sakes, which shall be heirs of salvation?

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

For if the word which was spoken by angels was firm, and every transgression and disobedience received just retribution,

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

God also giving an additional testimony both by signs, by prodigies, by divers miracles, and gifts of the holy spirit, which he distributes as he pleases.

For he has not subjected to angels the habitable world which is to come, of which we speak;

thou didst subordinate all things beneath his feet. For in subordinating all things beneath him, he left nothing which is not subordinated beneath him.

Nevertheless, we yet see not all things subdued unto him. But him that was made less than the angels, we see that it was Iesus: which is crowned with glory and honour for the suffering of death; that he, by the grace of God, should taste of death for all men.

For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

And that he might deliver them which, through fear of death, all their life time were in danger of bondage.

Wherefore he ought in all things to be made like to his brethren, in order to become a merciful and faithful high-priest in those things which relate to God, to make a propitiation for the sins of the people:

For in that which he himself suffered [when he] was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Because of which, holy brothers, companions of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our affirmation, Jesus Christ,

which was faithful to him that made him even as was Moses in all his house.

And this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses; Inasmuch as he which hath prepared the house, hath most honour in the house.

And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

but Christ was faithful as a Son having authority over God's house, and we are that house, if we hold firm to the End the boldness and the hope which we boast of as ours.

in which tempt Me did your fathers, they did prove Me, and saw My works forty years;

Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.

But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today” [and there is an opportunity], so that none of you will be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication].

For we [believers] have become partakers of Christ [sharing in all that the Messiah has for us], if only we hold firm our newborn confidence [which originally led us to Him] until the end,

which is imply'd by, "to-day since ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as at Meriba."

For which ones heard and rebelled? Was it not all who came out of Egypt under Moses' leadership?

For we have had delivered to us the joyful message, just as even, they; but the word which was heard did not profit them, they not having been blended, by faith, with the things heard.

For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

of which in a certain place relating to the seventh day, 'tis said, "and God did rest the seventh day from all his works."

Since there remains then a rest which some are still to enter into, for they to whom the promise was first made, did not enter in, because of their incredulity;

he pointed out another time in the words, which were spoken by David, a long time after their going into Canaan, in the passage just now quoted, "today since ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

which shows that the people of God have a sabbath still to come.

Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness].

And there is nothing made which is not completely clear to him; there is nothing covered, but all things are open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Seeing, then, that we have a great high priest which is entered into heaven - I mean Jesus the son of God - let us hold our profession.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Every high priest who is taken from among men is given his position to take care of the interests of men in those things which have to do with God, so that he may make offerings for sins.

which can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the high way, because that he himself also is compassed with infirmity:

For the which infirmities sake, he is bound to offer for sins, as well for his own part, as for the peoples.

Also, it is an office which no one elects to take for himself; he is called to it by God, just as Aaron was.

who in the days of his flesh both prayers and supplications unto Him who was able to save him from death -- with strong crying and tears -- having offered up, and having been heard in respect to that which he feared,

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Concerning this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull and sluggish in [your spiritual] hearing and disinclined to listen.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are perfect, which through custom have their wits exercised, to judge both good and evil also.

Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

of teaching about washings (ritual purifications), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.]

of which we shall treat another time, if God permit.

For it is not possible that they which were once lighted, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were become partakers of the holy ghost,

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

But we, even while we speak in this tone, have a happier conviction concerning you, my dearly-loved friends--a conviction of things which point towards salvation.

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

but we desire that every one of you may shew the same concern, continuing to discharge the condition upon which your hopes are founded: that ye be not unactive,

that ye faint not, but follow them which through faith and patience inherit the promises.

in which God, more abundantly willing to shew to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, did interpose by an oath,

That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

into which the forerunner for us is entered, even Jesus, made after the order of Melchisedec an high-priest for ever.

This Melchizedek, king of Salem - which being priest of the most high God, met Abraham, as he returned again from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him:

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

It is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to collect tithes from the people—which means, from their kinsmen—though these have descended from Abraham.

And no man denieth but that which is less, receiveth blessing of him which is greater.

And to say the truth, Levi himself also which receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham.