| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Children, obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right. | 1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. |
| 2Honor 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: |
| 3so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. | 3If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” |
| 4Fathers, don't stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training 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 human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ. | 5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. |
| 6Don't work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God's will 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 a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men, | 7Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. |
| 8knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. | 8Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. |
| 9And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that 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 strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. | 10A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. |
| 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. | 11Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. |
| 12For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. | 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. |
| 13This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your 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, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, | 14Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. |
| 15and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. | 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. |
| 16In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to 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. |
| 17Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word. | 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. |
| 18Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession 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 the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness 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 this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak 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, our dearly loved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me so that you may be informed. | 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 am sending him to you for this very reason, to let you know how we are and to 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 be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ. | 24May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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