Titus
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The New Testament

Titus

The King James text of 1611, set beside a plain-English rendering, so the original may be both read and understood.

Reading & highlighting: the left is the original King James Version; the right is a plain-English paraphrase to make the meaning clear. Select across one or more verses to highlight it in one of four colors. Click a verse number to bookmark it, and open Saved in the top bar to see everything you've marked and jump straight to it. Your highlights are saved automatically. You're reading Titus — 3 chapters.
I
Chapter 1
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—
2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,
3But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
3and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
4To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
4To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
5For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
5The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.
6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
6An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.
7For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
7Since an overseer manages God's household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.
8But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
8Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
9Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
10For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
10For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.
11Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
11They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.
12One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
12One of Crete's own prophets has said it: "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons."
13This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
13This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith
14Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
14and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth.
15Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
15To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
16They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
16They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
II
Chapter 2
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
1But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
1You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
2That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
2Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
4Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,
5To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
6Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
7In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness
8Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
9Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,
10Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
10and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
11For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
13while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
15These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
III
Chapter 3
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
1Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
1Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,
2To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
3At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
4But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
5Not 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;
5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
8This 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.
8This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
9But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
9But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.
10A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
10Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.
11Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
11You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.
12When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.
12As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there.
13Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.
13Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need.
14And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
14Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.
15All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
15Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
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Reader’s Companion

A Letter to an Island Church

The fuller life of the Apostle Paul accompanies the letter to the Romans. Titus is the last of the three Pastoral Epistles, and the twin of First Timothy: where Timothy had been left to steady the church at Ephesus, Titus was left to organize the young churches on Crete. Titus was a Gentile convert and one of Paul's most trusted troubleshooters—earlier sent on the delicate mission to mend the rift with the Corinthians—and Crete was a hard assignment. The island had a rough reputation, captured in a line Paul quotes from one of its own poets: "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons."

The letter is short and intensely practical. Paul's first concern is leadership: Titus is to appoint elders in every town, and Paul spells out the character such a person must have—blameless, self-controlled, hospitable, holding firmly to sound teaching, able to refute the "rebellious people, full of meaningless talk" who were upsetting whole households for profit. His second concern is that the gospel produce a visibly different kind of life. He gives instructions for every group—older men and women, younger men and women, slaves—not as cold rules but so that the teaching about God "may be made attractive," winning respect from a watching, skeptical world.

Twice the letter pauses to ground all this practical advice in the gospel itself. "The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people," Paul writes, and that grace "teaches us to say No to ungodliness." And again: God "saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." For Paul, good behavior is never the price of salvation; it is the natural overflow of having received it. The recurring refrain—"devote themselves to doing what is good"—is what grace looks like once it has taken root.

An Interpretation

Written with AIThe reflection below was written by AI as commentary—one reader's lens on the text, offered alongside it and never in place of it. It is not scripture, and not the King James words themselves.

Titus is a letter about reputation—not vanity, but the question of whether a community's life backs up its claims. Paul keeps returning to how things look from outside: teach this "so that no one will malign the word of God," live this way "so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us," behave so that the teaching is "made attractive." He understands that on an island famous for liars and gluttons, arguments would convince no one. Only a visibly changed life would.

What keeps this from collapsing into mere respectability is the engine he puts underneath it. Twice he stops the practical instructions cold to remind Titus why any of it matters: grace appeared, mercy saved us, none of it was earned. The order is everything. Paul does not say "behave well so God will accept you"; he says God has already accepted you, undeservedly, and that acceptance is what now "teaches us" to live differently. Good works are the fruit, never the root.

There is also a quiet realism in his honesty about the past. "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived... living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another." Paul does not stand above the Cretans wagging a finger; he includes himself among the rescued. That is what gives the whole letter its warmth instead of mere moralism. The standards are high, but they are held out by someone who remembers being down in the same pit—and who credits not his own climbing but a hand that reached in.