JMNT(i)
1 You should not inflict blows upon (or: = verbally attack; severely criticize; give reproofs to) an older man. To the contrary, habitually call [him] alongside, as a father, to aid, give relief and assist, to encourage and exhort (= be a paraclete to him). [Treat] younger men as brothers,
2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, within all purity and propriety.
3 Be constantly honoring (valuing; thus: = assisting and supporting) widows – those actually being widows.
4 But if any widow currently has children or grandchildren (descendants), let these keep on learning to first show reverence with ease and virtuous devotion to goodness with pious care, for and in their own household, and to keep paying a due compensation to their parents and grandparents (progenitors), for this is welcomely received in God's sight.
5 Now the one actually being a widow, and having been left alone (= without a dowry and destitute), has placed expectation upon, and now relies on God, and constantly remains focused in requests regarding needs, and in prayers (thoughts, words and deeds aimed toward having goodness and well-being) during night and during day,
6 yet the woman continuously indulging herself in riotous luxury (excessive comfort; sensual gratification), continuing being alive (or: [though] living), she is dead (or: she has died).
7 So keep on announcing these things along the way (telling them to the one at your side), to the end that they may be folks not to be laid hold of for being reprehensible (thus: people in whom is no just cause for blame).
8 Now if anyone is not habitually having forethought or perceiving beforehand in order to provide for those who are his or her own (= relatives), and especially ones of the household (family or domestics) she or he has disowned (turned her or his back on; denied; renounced; refused) the Faith-loyalty and is worse than an unbeliever (or: has disregarded and declined their trust and exists being worse than one without faith).
9 Let a widow be put on the list, and continue enrolled, who has become no younger than sixty years old, a wife of one man (= not married a second time?),
10 having a continuing reputation founded in beautiful acts (ideal works; fine deeds): if she nourishes children (or: reared a family), if she is (or: was) hospitable to strangers and foreigners, if she washes (or: bathed) the feet of the set-apart folks (the holy ones; the saints), if she successfully wards off distress for those being constantly pressured (or: relieves those consistently being in tribulation and affliction), if she follows up on every good work (attends to every virtuous deed).
11 On the other hand, turn aside requests of (or: refuse) younger widows [from being on the list], for you see, whenever they may develop headstrong pride (live strenuously or rudely) against Christ (or: may come down to the level of sexual impulse, be in the sphere of sensual desire, feel licentious or become wanton in relation to or in regard to the Anointed [body]) they are continually wanting to be marrying [note: it was a Gnostic belief that a person could gain knowledge (gnosis) by having sex with someone],
12 habitually holding an effect of a decision: that they set-aside the first faith-loyalty (or: continuing to possess the result of a judgment, because they displace their first trust).
13 Yet at the same time, they also are constantly learning inactiveness (idleness; unemployment), wandering around the houses (= going from home to home), and not only [are they] inactive (ineffective; unemployed; idle), but further [they are] also gossips (babblers; ones bubbling over with prattle) and meddlers (or: gaining knowledge by supernatural means or practicing magic), women constantly saying unnecessary things (or: continuously speaking the things they should not speak).
14 I am wanting and intending, therefore, younger women to be marrying: to be bearing children; to continuously rule and manage a household; to be by habit giving not even one starting point (base of operation; opportunity; incentive; inducement) favoring verbal abuse (slander; reviling) to the person occupying an opposing position (or: in the one lying in opposition; for the opposer or the opposing counterpart),
15 for you see, already some (or: certain folks) were turned out [of the path] (or: were turned aside [from the goal]), behind the adversary (= to follow after satan; or: = some were by their opponents turned out of the midst of the community to the adversarial counterpart [religion] which lay behind them).
16 If any woman of faith (or: faithful, trusting and believing woman) continues having widows [in her circle of influence or in her family], let her continue warding off [disaster] for them (or: relieving and being sufficient for them [= by paying their expenses]), and then the called-out community [will] not be continuously burdened (weighed down), to the end that it may continually ward off [disaster] (or: bring relief and be sufficient [by paying expenses]) for those actually being widows.
17 Let the older men – ones having beautifully (ideally; finely) placed [themselves] at the head so as to stand before, to lead and to provide – be considered worthy of double value, worth and honor, especially those being continually wearied and spent with labor in [the] Word (or: in the midst of the message) and by teaching (or: instruction and training),
18 for the Scripture is saying, "You shall not muzzle a bull (or: ox) when it is threshing out grain, " [Deut. 25:4] and, "The worker [is] worthy (of equalvalue) of his wages." [Luke 10:7]
19 Do not normally accept (or: receive; entertain) [from the] outside (= from outside the community) an accusation down on (or: charge against) an older man, except “upon two or three witnesses, ” [Deut. 17:6]
20 yet habitually put to the proof, test or expose (or: lay bare and reprove) the [older men] habitually missing the target or constantly being in error (or: the [older men] repeatedly sinning; those continuously failing) before all onlookers (or: in the sight of all), to the end that the rest, also, may continue holding reverence (or: having respectful fear).
21 I continue bearing complete and thorough witness (or: I habitually give evidence and testimony throughout) in the sight of God and of Christ Jesus and of the selected, picked out and chosen agents (or: messengers; folks with the message), to the end that you may keep watch on so as to guard these things apart from effects of fore-decisions (prejudgment; prejudice), continually doing nothing (constructing not one thing) down from (in accord with; on the level of) inclination (or: a leaning toward [something]) or bias.
22 In practice, place (or: lay) your hands quickly upon no one, neither be habitually having common existence with, partnering with, participating in or sharing in common in the failures (errors; sins; misses of the target; deviations from the goal) belonging to other folks. Constantly keep yourself pure (or: Make it a habit to watch over and guard so as to preserve yourself with propriety).
23 No longer continue being a water-drinker, but rather, habitually make use of a little wine because of your throat (or: orifice of the stomach; neck of the bladder) and your thick (or: close together, firm, solid) or frequent weaknesses (deficiencies in strength; infirmities; sicknesses [note: this may have been a bladder ailment cause by the local water, causing frequent urination]).
24 The failures (shortfalls; errors; mistakes; deviations; sins) of some people are obvious (portrayed before the public), continually proceeding into a separation and then a decision which leads into judging, yet also, for certain (or: with some) folks, they are normally following upon (or: after; = they have not yet caught up with them; or: they habitually accompanying [them]).
25 Similarly, the beautiful acts (the excellent deeds; the fine and ideal works) are obvious (portrayed before the public), and yet the ones habitually holding otherwise (having [acts or deeds] in a different way) are not able to be continuously hidden.