1 TIM 4:12 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Let no one despise your youth, but be an example for the believers in word, in conduct, in love,[fn] in faith, in purity.

UST Do not allow anyone to consider you to be unimportant because you are young. Instead, show other believers how to live. Show them that by how you speak, how you behave, how you love others, how you trust in Jesus, and how you avoid what is evil.

BLB Let no one despise your youth, but be a pattern for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

AICNT Let no one despise you for your youth, but become an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, [[in spirit,]][fn] in faith, in purity.

4:12, in spirit: Later manuscripts add. BYZ TR

OEB Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but, by your conversation, your conduct, your love, your faith, and your purity, be an example to those who hold the faith.

CSB Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.

NLT Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

NIV Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

CEV Don't let anyone make fun of you, just because you are young. Set an example for other followers by what you say and do, as well as by your love, faith, and purity.

ESV Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

NASB Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

LSB Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but show yourself as a model to those who believe in word, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

WEBBE Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(11-14)Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.

NET Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity.

LSV let no one despise your youth, but become a pattern of those believing in word, in behavior, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity;

FBV Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young. Be an example to those who trust in God—in the way you speak, the kind of life you live, in love, in trust, and in purity.

TCNT Let no one despise yoʋ because yoʋ are young, but set an example for the believers in yoʋr speech, conduct, love, [fn]spirit, faith, and purity.

4:12 spirit, 90.4% ¦ — CT 9%

T4T Timothy, by the way you conduct your life, show the believers in your congregation how they should conduct their lives. Specifically, speak good things, conduct yourself well, love people, trust God, and be pure in every way. If you do all that, no one will have any reason ◄to belittle/to treat you disrespectfully► because of your being young.

LEB Let no one look down on your youth, but be an example for the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

NRSV Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

NKJV Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

NAB Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

BBE Let no one make little of you because you are young, but be an example to the church in word, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in holy living.

Moff Let no one slight you because you are a youth, but set the believers an example of speech, behaviour, love, faith, and purity.

Wymth Let no one think slightingly of you because you are a young man; but in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, be an example for your fellow Christians to imitate.

ASV Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity.

DRA Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the faithful in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity.

YLT let no one despise thy youth, but a pattern become thou of those believing in word, in behaviour, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity;

Drby Let no one despise thy youth, but be a model of the believers, in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

RV Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity.
(Let no man despise thy/your youth; but be thou/you an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity. )

SLT Let none despise thy youth; but be thou a type of the faithful, in word, in intercourse, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Wbstr Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in deportment, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

KJB-1769 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
(Let no man despise thy/your youth; but be thou/you an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. )

KJB-1611 Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the beleeuers, in word, in conuersation, in charitie, in spirit, in faith, in puritie.
(Let no man despise thy/your youth, but be thou/you an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in puritie.)

Bshps Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou a paterne of the beleuers, in worde, in conuersation, in loue, in spirite, in fayth, in chastitie.
(Let no man despise thy/your youth: but be thou/you a pattern of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in chastitie.)

Gnva Let no man despise thy youth, but be vnto them that beleeue, an ensample, in worde, in conuersation, in loue, in spirit, in faith, and in purenesse.
(Let no man despise thy/your youth, but be unto them that believe, an ensample, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in pureness. )

Cvdl Let no man despyse yi youth, but be thou vnto them that beleue, an ensample, in worde, in couersacion, in loue, in ye sprete, in faith, in purenesse.
(Let no man despise ye/you_all youth, but be thou/you unto them that believe, an ensample, in word, in coversacion, in love, in ye/you_all spirit, in faith, in pureness.)

TNT Let no man despyse thy youth: but be vnto them that beleve an insample in worde in conversacion in love in sprete in fayth and in purenes.
(Let no man despise thy/your youth: but be unto them that believe an insample in word in conversacion in love in spirit in faith and in purenes. )

Wycl No man dispise thi yongthe, but be thou ensaumple of feithful men in word, in lyuyng, in charite, in feith, in chastite.
(No man despise thy/your youth, but be thou/you ensaumple of faithful men in word, in living, in charity, in faith, in chastite.)

Luth Niemand verachte deine Jugend, sondern sei ein Vorbild den Gläubigen im Wort, im Wandel, in der Liebe, im Geist, im Glauben, in der Keuschheit.
(Niemand verachte your youth, rather be a Vorbild the Gläubigen in_the word, in_the change(n), in the/of_the love(n), in_the spirit, in_the faith, in the/of_the Keuschheit.)

ClVg Nemo adolescentiam tuam contemnat: sed exemplum esto fidelium in verbo, in conversatione, in caritate, in fide, in castitate.
(Nobody adolescencem your(sg) contemnat: but exemplum be faithful in/into/on word, in/into/on conversation, in/into/on caritate, in/into/on with_faith, in/into/on castitate. )

UGNT μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω, ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν, ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνίᾳ.
(maʸdeis sou taʸs neotaʸtos katafroneitō, alla tupos ginou tōn pistōn, en logōi, en anastrofaʸ, en agapaʸ, en pistei, en hagnia.)

SBL-GNT μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω, ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ⸀ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνείᾳ.
(maʸdeis sou taʸs neotaʸtos katafroneitō, alla tupos ginou tōn pistōn en logōi, en anastrofaʸ, en ⸀agapaʸ, en pistei, en hagneia.)

RP-GNT Μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω, ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πνεύματι, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνείᾳ.
(Maʸdeis sou taʸs neotaʸtos katafroneitō, alla tupos ginou tōn pistōn en logōi, en anastrofaʸ, en agapaʸ, en pneumati, en pistei, en hagneia.)

TC-GNT Μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω, ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, [fn]ἐν πνεύματι, ἐν πίστει, ἐν [fn]ἁγνείᾳ.
(Maʸdeis sou taʸs neotaʸtos katafroneitō, alla tupos ginou tōn pistōn en logōi, en anastrofaʸ, en agapaʸ, en pneumati, en pistei, en hagneia. )

4:12 εν πνευματι 90.4% ¦ — CT 9%

4:12 αγνεια ¦ αγνια WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–16: Paul told Timothy how to teach the believers

In this section, Paul warned Timothy against people who were teaching false doctrines. They were teaching that believers should not marry and that there were certain kinds of food that they should not eat. Paul told Timothy several things that he should do to oppose the errors of the false teachers. For example:

He should teach correct doctrines (4:11).
He should be a good example to others (4:12b).
He should read aloud the Scriptures to encourage the believers to obey them (4:13b).

Paul wanted Timothy to continue to do these things and not become discouraged.

Paragraph 4:11–16

In this paragraph Paul told Timothy how to convince people to accept his teaching, even though he was young. He told Timothy to be a good example for the other believers (4:12b). He told him to read the Scriptures to people and to teach them (4:13b). He also told Timothy to use the gift that God had given him (4:14a). This gift was the ability that God had given him to teach and to lead other people. Paul also told Timothy to keep progressing spiritually (4:15c), and to persevere (4:16b).Adapted from Stott, pages 120–125.

4:12a

Let no one despise your youth,

Behave in a way that no one will show disrespect for you because you are young,
so that no one will ignore your teaching because they think that you are too young to be a teacher.

Let no one despise your youth: People who lived when Paul did normally expected spiritual leaders to be older than Timothy was. Therefore, some people thought that he was too young to teach them so they didn’t want to obey him.

The form of the Greek verb is a third-person command. It could better be expressed in English as “May no one look down on you.” Paul was telling Timothy that he should behave in ways that made him deserve respect. Then people would respect him and not look down on him. The next verses told Timothy how to do this. Use a form of the verb in your language that will best fit this context.

despise: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as despise means “regard as worthless,” “show disrespect to,” or “regard as inferior.”

youth: Timothy was probably between thirty and forty years old when Paul wrote this letter. Try to use a word for youth that includes Timothy’s age group. In some cultures, people do not consider a man of this age group a youth. If this is true in your area, you may need to state that some people thought that Timothy was too young to teach them.

4:12b

but set an example for the believers

and be a good model for the believers to follow.
You must behave in a way that the other believers in Christ can copy.

set an example: The word that the BSB translates as example means a “model” or “pattern.” Paul wanted Timothy to behave in a way that other believers could copy. If he did that, people would respect him and would listen to what he taught them, even though they considered him young.

an example: In some languages there is no noun that means example. In such languages it may be possible to use a verb like “demonstrate” or “show.” For example:

Instead, show the other believers how to behave as God wants them to.

4:12c–d

Paul wanted Timothy to be an example to the other believers in the way he behaved. In the rest of this verse Paul listed five ways in which Timothy was to be an example.Some translations, such as the KJV, add a sixth way, the words “in spirit”, after “in faith” in 4:10d. However, the oldest and best Greek texts that Bible scholars know about do not have the words “in spirit” here. That is why most modern translations do not include this phrase.

4:12c

in speech, in conduct,

Always speak what is right and behave correctly.
Show them by your example how to speak and how to behave as believers should.

in speech: This is the first way in which Timothy was to be an example. Paul meant that Timothy should be careful that everything he said was true, kind, and helpful to others. He should avoid lying or gossiping.

in conduct: This is the second way in which Timothy was to be an example to the other believers. Paul meant that Timothy should behave in a way that pleased God and that others could imitate. Other believers should not have any reason to criticize him for his behavior.

4:12d

in love, in faith, in purity.

Love people. Trust Christ. Do not sin.
Show them how to love people, how to trust Christ, and how to live without sinning.

in love: This is the third way in which Timothy was to be an example to the other believers. Paul meant that Timothy should be an example to other people by loving them. Here Paul was probably referring to loving people more than to loving God. So if you need to use a verb here with an object, you should say:

in the way you love other people

in faith: This is the fourth way in which Timothy was to be an example to the other believers. Paul told Timothy to be an example to other people in faith. He meant that Timothy should be an example in the way he trusted in God.There is a second possibility here. Rather than talking about faith in God, Paul meant that Timothy should be faithful to his calling. Knight, page 206, says “The previous and following usages of πίστις [=‘faith’] as a Christian virtue coupled with ἀγάπη [=‘love’] and other virtues in the PE [=Pastoral Epistles] (see above) incline one to understand πίστις here as “faith,” i.e., “trust,” as do the preponderance of cases elsewhere in Paul (e.g., 1 Tim. 2:15; 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; 3:10; Gal. 5:6, 22, but for a contrary view on Gal. 5:22 cf. the commentaries of Burton and Bruce).” See faith, meaning 1, in the Glossary.

in purity: This is the fifth and final way in which Timothy was to be an example to the other believers. Paul meant that Timothy was always to behave in a pure way. The Greek word that the BSB translates as purity often refers to avoiding sexual sin in particular. However in this context, it probably refers to avoiding any kind of sin, including sexual sin.

General Comment on 4:12b–d

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder this verse. For example, you could begin with the list of the ways in which Timothy should be an example. Here is one way to do that:

^12cspeak what is right, behave in a way that pleases God, ^12dlove other people, trust in God, and behave in a blameless way. ^12bThen you will be an example to the other believers.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / imperative3p

μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω

no_one (Some words not found in SR-GNT: μηδείς σοῦ τῆς νεότητος Καταφρονείτω ἀλλά τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ ἐν ἀναστροφῇ ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἐν πίστει ἐν ἁγνείᾳ)

If your language does not use the third-person imperative in this way, you could state this in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [People must not despise your youth] or [You must not tolerate anyone despising your youth]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

σου τῆς νεότητος

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: μηδείς σοῦ τῆς νεότητος Καταφρονείτω ἀλλά τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ ἐν ἀναστροφῇ ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἐν πίστει ἐν ἁγνείᾳ)

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of youth, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [how young you are]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

σου τῆς νεότητος

Here Paul implies that people might despise Timothy because of his youth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [you because of your youth]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνίᾳ

in speech in conduct in love in faith in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: μηδείς σοῦ τῆς νεότητος Καταφρονείτω ἀλλά τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ ἐν ἀναστροφῇ ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἐν πίστει ἐν ἁγνείᾳ)

If your language does not use abstract nouns for some or all of the ideas in this list, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: [as you speak, act, love, believe, and act purely]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

ἐν λόγῳ

in speech

Here, word represents things that Timothy speaks using words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [in the things you say] or [in words]

Note 6 topic: translate-textvariants

ἐν ἀγάπῃ

in in in love

Many ancient manuscripts read in love. The ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts read “in love, in spirit.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.

Parallel 1 TIM 4:12