| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. | 1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. |
| 2“Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), | 2“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: |
| 3“that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.” | 3If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” |
| 4Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. | 4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Slaves and Masters |
| 5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. | 5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. |
| 6And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. | 6Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. |
| 7Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men, | 7Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. |
| 8because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. | 8Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. |
| 9And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him. | 9Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites. The Whole Armor of God |
| 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. | 10A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. |
| 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. | 11Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. |
| 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. | 12For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. |
| 13Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. | 13Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. |
| 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, | 14Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. |
| 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. | 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. |
| 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. | 16In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. |
| 17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. | 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. |
| 18Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. | 18Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. |
| 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, | 19And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. |
| 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should. | 20I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. Final Greetings |
| 21Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know about me and what I am doing. | 21To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. |
| 22I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may encourage your hearts. | 22I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. |
| 23Peace to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | 23Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. |
| 24Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. | 24May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. |
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