Paulus servus Dei, Apostolus autem Jesu Christi secundum fidem electorum Dei, et agnitionem veritatis, quæ secundum pietatem est

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of the elect of God and the acknowledging of the truth, which is according to godliness:

It is Paul who writes; God’s servant, sent out as an apostle of Jesus Christ, with the faith of God’s elect for his care; they were to acknowledge that truth which accords with holiness,

in spem vitæ æternæ, quam promisit qui non mentitur, Deus, ante tempora sæcularia:

Unto the hope of life everlasting, which God, who lieth not, hath promised before the times of the world:

and fix their hopes on eternal life. It has been promised to us long ages since by the God who cannot fail us;

manifestavit autem temporibus suis verbum suum in prædicatione, quæ credita est mihi secundum præceptum Salvatoris nostri Dei:

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

and now, in due time, he has made his meaning clear to us, through the preaching with which God, our Saviour, has seen fit to entrust me.

Tito dilecto filio secundum communem fidem, gratia, et pax a Deo Patre, et Christo Jesu Salvatore nostro.

To Titus my beloved son, according to the common faith, grace and peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Saviour.

To Titus, my own son in the faith we share, grace and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hujus rei gratia reliqui te Cretæ, ut ea quæ desunt, corrigas, et constituas per civitates presbyteros, sicut et ego disposui tibi,

For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee:

If I left thee behind me in Crete, it was to put all in order, where order is still needed. It is for thee to appoint presbyters, as I enjoined, in each city,

si quis sine crimine est, unius uxoris vir, filios habens fideles, non in accusatione luxuriæ, aut non subditos.

If any be without crime, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or unruly.

always looking for a man who is beyond reproach, faithful to one wife; one whose children hold the faith, not accused of reckless living, not wanting in obedience.

Oportet enim episcopum sine crimine esse, sicut Dei dispensatorem: non superbum, non iracundum, non vinolentum, non percussorem, non turpis lucri cupidum:

For a bishop must be without crime, as the steward of God: not proud, not subject to anger, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre:

A bishop, after all, since he is the steward of God’s house, must needs be beyond reproach. He must not be an obstinate or quarrelsome man, one who drinks deep, or comes to blows, or is grasping over money.

sed hospitalem, benignum, sobrium, justum, sanctum, continentem,

But given to hospitality, gentle, sober, just, holy, continent:

He must be hospitable, kindly, discreet, upright, unworldly and continent.

amplectentem eum, qui secundum doctrinam est, fidelem sermonem: ut potens sit exhortari in doctrina sana, et eos qui contradicunt, arguere.

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

He must hold firmly to the truths which have tradition for their warrant; able, therefore, to encourage sound doctrine, and to shew the wayward their error.

Sunt enim multi etiam inobedientes, vaniloqui, et seductores: maxime qui de circumcisione sunt:

For there are also many disobedient, vain talkers, and seducers: especially they who are of the circumcision:

There are many rebellious spirits abroad, who talk of their own fantasies and lead men’s minds astray; those especially who hold by circumcision;

quos oportet redargui: qui universas domos subvertunt, docentes quæ non oportet, turpis lucri gratia.

Who must be reproved, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

and they must be silenced. They will bring ruin on entire households by false teaching, with an eye to their own base profits.

Dixit quidam ex illis, proprius ipsorum propheta: Cretenses semper mendaces, malæ bestiæ, ventres pigri.

One of them a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slothful bellies.

Why, one of themselves, a spokesman of their own, has told us, The men of Crete were ever liars, venomous creatures, all hungry belly and nothing besides;

Testimonium hoc verum est. Quam ob causam increpa illos dure, ut sani sint in fide,

This testimony is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

and that is a true account of them. Be strict, then, in taking them to task, so that they may be soundly established in the faith,

non intendentes judaicis fabulis, et mandatis hominum, aversantium se a veritate.

Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, who turn themselves away from the truth.

instead of paying attention to these Jewish fables, these rules laid down for them by human teachers who will not look steadily at the truth.

Omnia munda mundis: coinquinatis autem et infidelibus, nihil est mundum, sed inquinatæ sunt eorum et mens et conscientia.

All things are clean to the clean: but to them that are defiled, and to unbelievers, nothing is clean: but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

As if anything could be unclean for those who have clean hearts! But for these men, defiled as they are by want of faith, everything is unclean; defilement has entered their very thought, their very consciences.

Confitentur se nosse Deum, factis autem negant: cum sint abominati, et incredibiles, et ad omne opus bonum reprobi.

They profess that they know God: but in their works they deny him; being abominable, and incredulous, and to every good work reprobate.

They profess recognition of God, but their practice contradicts it; it is they who are abominable, who are disloyal, who are ill qualified for the practice of any true virtue.