And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous {are they}, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. {government: or, dominion}

As every man hath received the gift, {even so} minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight {thereof}, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; {which...: or, as much as in you is}

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom {his} lord shall make ruler over his household, to give {them their} portion of meat in due season?

{He that is} soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all {men}, apt to teach, patient, {patient: or, forbearing}

Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble {in} judgment.

This {is} a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but {he that is} slow to anger appeaseth strife.

His watchmen {are} blind: they are all ignorant, they {are} all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. {sleeping: or, dreaming, or, talking in their sleep}

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

{He that is} slow to anger {is} better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

The aged women likewise, that {they be} in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; {holiness: or, holy women} {false...: or, one who foments strife}

{It is} not for kings, O Lemuel, {it is} not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

For 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: {wanting: or, left undone}

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: {it shall be} a statute for ever throughout your generations:

O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. {digged...: or, houghed oxen}

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

This {is} a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all {men}, apt to teach, patient, {patient: or, forbearing}

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight {thereof}, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; {which...: or, as much as in you is}

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; {given...: or, ready to quarrel, and offer wrong, as one in wine}

As every man hath received the gift, {even so} minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The aged women likewise, that {they be} in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; {holiness: or, holy women} {false...: or, one who foments strife}

I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: {it shall be} a statute for ever throughout your generations:

And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

Yea, {they are} greedy dogs {which} can never have enough, and they {are} shepherds {that} cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. {greedy: Heb. strong of appetite} {can...: Heb. know not to be satisfied}

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

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, {as} the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom {his} lord shall make ruler over his household, to give {them their} portion of meat in due season?

Likewise {must} the deacons {be} grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous {are they}, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. {government: or, dominion}

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

Come ye, {say they}, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, {and} much more abundant.

For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God {is} witness:

Therefore will I give their wives unto others, {and} their fields to them that shall inherit {them}: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them {their} hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

For whatsoever man {he be} that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,

And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;