1 Timothy 5:13

Christian Standard Bible ®

At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn't say.

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.

Legacy Standard Bible
And at the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house. And not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.

Simplified Cowboy Version
They'll start gossiping, being lazy, and expecting everyone else to do what they should be doing themselves. Don't enable them by doing everything for them.

Bible in Basic English
And they get into the way of doing no work, going about from house to house; and not only doing no work, but talking foolishly, being over-interested in the business of others, saying things which they have no right to say.

Darby Translation
And, at the same time, they learn also [to be] idle, going about to people's houses; and not only idle, but also gossipers and meddlers, speaking things not becoming.

World English Bible
Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And withal they learn to be idle, going about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers and busy bodies, speaking what they ought not.

Weymouth's New Testament
And at the same time they also learn to be idle as they go round from house to house; and they are not only idle, but are gossips also and busybodies, speaking of things that ought not to be spoken of.

King James Version (1611)
And withall they learne to bee idle, wandering about from house to house; and not onely idle, but tatlers also, and busibodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Literal Translation
and with it all, they also learn to be idle, going around the houses, and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, speaking the things not proper.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Besydes this they are ydell, and lerne to runne aboute fro house to house. Not onely are they ydell, but also tryflinge & busybodies, speakynge thinges which are not comly.

Mace New Testament (1729)
besides, having nothing to do, they get the habit of rambling from one house to another, and are not only idling, but prattle and intermeddle, and utter what is not decent.

Amplified Bible
Now at the same time, they also learn to be idle as they go from house to house; and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies [meddlers in things that do not concern them], talking about things they should not mention.

American Standard Version
And withal they learn also to be idle, going about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Revised Standard Version
Besides that, they learn to be idlers, gadding about from house to house, and not only idlers but gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And also they learne to goo from housse to housse ydle ye not ydle only but also tryflynge and busybodyes speakynge thynges which are not comly.

Update Bible Version
And besides they learn also [to be] idle, going about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Webster's Bible Translation
And at the same time they learn [to be] idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle, but tattlers also, and busy-bodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Young's Literal Translation
and at the same time also, they learn [to be] idle, going about the houses; and not only idle, but also tattlers and busybodies, speaking the things they ought not;

New Century Version
Besides that, they learn to waste their time, going from house to house. And they not only waste their time but also begin to gossip and busy themselves with other people's lives, saying things they should not say.

New English Translation
And besides that, going around from house to house they learn to be lazy, and they are not only lazy, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things they should not.

Berean Standard Bible
At the same time they will also learn to be idle, going from house to house and being not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, discussing things they should not mention.

Contemporary English Version
Besides, they will become lazy and get into the habit of going from house to house. Next, they will start gossiping and become busybodies, talking about things that are none of their business.

Complete Jewish Bible
Besides that, they learn to be idle, going around from house to house; and not only idle, but gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn't.

English Standard Version
Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And likewise also being idle they learne to goe about from house to house: yea, they are not onely ydle, but also pratlers and busibodies, speaking things which are not comely.

George Lamsa Translation
And with it all, they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only to be idle, but tattlers also, and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Hebrew Names Version
Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

International Standard Version
At the same time, they also learn how to be lazy while going from house to house. Not only this, but they even become gossips and keep busy by interfering in other people's lives, saying things they should not say.2 Thessalonians 3:11;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
They also learn idleness, wandering from house to house; and not only idleness, but also to multiply words, and to follow vain (pursuits), and to speak things which they ought not.

Murdock Translation
And they also learn idleness, wandering from house to house; and not only idleness, but also to talk much, and to pursue vanities, and to utter what they ought not.

New King James Version
And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

New Living Translation
And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people's business and talking about things they shouldn't.

New Life Bible
They will waste their time. They will go from house to house carrying stories. They will find fault with people and say things they should not talk about.

English Revised Version
And withal they learn also [to be] idle, going about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

New Revised Standard
Besides that, they learn to be idle, gadding about from house to house; and they are not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
At the same time, to be idlers, are they learning, going about from house to house; and, not only idlers, but, gossips, also, and, busybodies, - saying the things they ought not,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And withal being idle they learn to go about from house to house: and are not only idle, but tattlers also and busy bodies, speaking things which they ought not.

King James Version
And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Lexham English Bible
And at the same time also, going around from house to house, they learn to be idle, and not only idle, but also gossipy and busybodies, saying the things that are not necessary.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They learne to wander about from house to house idle: yea not idle only, but also tatlers and busybodies, speakyng thynges which are not comely.

Easy-to-Read Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also they become gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.

Good News Translation
They also learn to waste their time in going around from house to house; but even worse, they learn to be gossips and busybodies, talking of things they should not.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Also thei idil lernen to go aboute housis, not oneli ydel, but ful of wordis and curiouse, spekynge thingis that bihoueth not.

Contextual Overview

³ Support widows who are genuinely widows. ⁴ But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God. ⁵ The real widow, left all alone, has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers; ⁶ however, she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. ⁷ Command this also, so they won't be blamed. ⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his own, that is his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ⁹ No widow should be placed on the official support list unless she is at least 60 years old, has been the wife of one husband, ¹⁰ and is well known for good works—that is, if she has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints' feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to every good work. ¹¹ But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they are drawn away from Christ by desire, they want to marry ¹² and will therefore receive condemnation because they have renounced their original pledge.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

to be: Proverbs 31:27, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-11

wandering: Leviticus 19:16, Proverbs 20:19, Luke 10:7, Acts 20:20

busybodies: 2 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Peter 4:15

speaking: Acts 20:30, Titus 1:11, James 3:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 34:1 - the daughter Genesis 34:7 - thing Proverbs 6:12 - walketh Proverbs 7:11 - her feet Proverbs 14:23 - but Matthew 20:3 - standing Acts 17:21 - spent Romans 12:11 - slothful Romans 13:7 - honour to Ephesians 4:31 - evil speaking 1 Thessalonians 4:11 - and to do Titus 2:5 - keepers 2 Peter 1:8 - barren

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And withal they learn to be idle,.... Being at ease, and without labour, living at the expense of the church: "wandering about from house to house"; having nothing else to do: such an one is what the Jews z call אלמנה שובבית, "the gadding widow"; who, as the gloss says,

"goes about and visits her neighbours continually; and these are they that corrupt the world.''

Of this sort of women must the Jews be understood, when they say a, it is one of the properties of them to be יוצאניות "going out", or gadding abroad, as Dinah did; and that it is another to be

דבריות, "talkative", which agrees with what follows:

and not only idle, but tattlers also; full of talk, who have always some news to tell, or report to make of the affairs of this, or the other person, or family:

and busy bodies; in the matters of other persons, which do not concern them:

speaking things which they ought not; which either are not true, and, if they are, are not to be spoken of, and carried from place to place: this is a very great inconvenience, the apostle observes, arising from the admission of such young widows to be relieved and maintained at the church's charge.

z T. Bab. Sota, fol. 22. 1. a Bereshit Rabba, sect. 45. fol. 40. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And withal - In addition to the prospect that they may marry again, there are other disadvantages which might follow from such an arrangement, and other evils to be feared which it is desirable to avoid.

They learn to be idle - That is, if supported by the church, and if without the settled principles which might be expected in those more aged and experienced, it may be feared that they will give themselves up to an indolent life. There would be a security in the age and established habits of these more advanced in life, which there could not be in their case. The apostle does not mean that widows are naturally disposed to be idle, but that in the situation referred to there would be danger of it.

Wandering about from house to house - A natural consequence of supposing that they had nothing to do, and a practice not only profitless, but always attended with mischief.

Tattlers also - Literally, “overflowing;” then overflowing with talk; praters, triflers. They would learn all the news; become acquainted with the secrets of families, and of course indulge in much idle and improper conversation. Our word “gossipers” would accurately express the meaning here. The noun does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. The verb occurs in John 3:10; rendered, “prating against.”

And busy-bodies - see the notes on 2 Thessalonians 3:11. The word means, probably, “working all round, overdoing,” and then “an intermeddler.” Persons who have nothing to do of their own, commonly find employment by interesting themselves in the affairs of their neighbors. No one likes to be wholly idle, and if anyone is not found doing what he ought to do, he will commonly be found engaged in doing what he ought not.

Speaking things which they ought not - Revealing the concerns of their neighbors; disclosing secrets; magnifying trifles, so as to exalt themselves into importance, as if they were entrusted with the secrets of others; inventing stories and tales of gossip, that they may magnify and maintain their own consequence in the community. No persons are commonly more dangerous to the peace of a neighborhood than those who have nothing to do.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. And withal they learn to be idle — They do not love work, and they will not work.

Wandering about from house to house — Gadding, gossiping; never contented with home; always visiting.

And not only idle — If it went no farther, this would be intolerable; but they are tattlers-tale-bearers; whisperers; light, trifling persons; all noise and no work.

Busybodies — Persons who meddle with the concerns of others; who mind every one's business but their own.

Speaking things which they ought not. — Lies, slanders, calumnies; backbiting their neighbours, and everywhere sowing the seed of dissension.