11. But don’t put younger widows on that list. When their strong physical needs pull them away from their commitment to Christ, they will want to marry again.
12. Then they will be guilty of not doing what they first promised to do.
13. Also, these younger widows begin to waste their time going from house to house. They also begin to gossip and try to run other people’s lives. They say things they should not say.
14. So I want the younger widows to marry, have children, and take care of their homes. If they do this, our enemy will not have any reason to criticize them.
15. But some of the younger widows have already turned away to follow Satan.
16. If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should take care of them herself. Then the church will not have that burden and will be able to care for the widows who have no one else to help them.
17. The elders who lead the church in a good way should receive double honor—in particular, those who do the work of counseling and teaching.