1 This saying is trustworthy: The one who would an elder be, A noble task desires he.2 Therefore, an elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, stable, sensible, respectable, a lover of strangers, and teachable.3 He must not drink excessively or be a violent person, but instead be gentle. He must not be argumentative or a lover of money.4 He must manage his own family well and have children who are submissive and respectful in every way.5 For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?6 He must not be a recent convert, or he might become arrogant and fall into the condemnation of the devil.7 He must be well thought of by outsiders, lest he fall into disgrace and the trap set for him by the devil.