أفَسُس 6

١ 1 أَيُّهَا الأَوْلادُ، أَطِيعُوا وَالِدِيكُمْ فِي الرَّبِّ. فَهَذَا هُوَ الصَّوَابُ:

Children, obey your parents, as children of the Lord; for that is but right.

٢ 2 «أَكْرِمْ أَبَاكَ وَأُمَّكَ» وَهَذِهِ أَوَّلُ وَصِيَّةٍ مُرْتَبِطَةٍ بِوَعْدٍ

‘Honor your father and mother’ – this is the first Commandment with a promise –

٣ 3 «لِكَيْ تُلاقِيَ الْخَيْرَ وَيَطُولَ عُمْرُكَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ!»

‘so that you may prosper and have a long life on earth.’

٤ 4 وَأَنْتُمْ، أَيُّهَا الآبَاءُ، لَا تُثِيرُوا غَضَبَ أَوْلادِكُمْ. وَإِنَّمَا رَبُّوهُمْ بِتَأْدِيبِ الرَّبِّ وَوَصَايَاهُ.

And fathers, do not irritate your children, but bring them up with Christian discipline and instruction.

٥ 5 أَيُّهَا الْعَبِيدُ، أَطِيعُوا سَادَتَكُمُ الْبَشَرِيِّينَ بِخَوْفٍ وَارْتِعَادٍ، مِنْ قَلْبٍ صَادِقٍ، كَمَنْ يُطِيعُ الْمَسِيحَ،

Slaves, obey your earthly masters, with anxious care, giving them ungrudging service, as if obeying the Christ;

٦ 6 غَيْرَ عَامِلِينَ بِجِدٍّ فَقَطْ حِينَ تَكُونُ عُيُونُهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَنْ يُحَاوِلُ إِرْضَاءَ النَّاسِ، بَلِ انْطِلاقاً مِنْ كَوْنِكُمْ عَبِيداً لِلْمَسِيحِ،

not only when their eyes are on you, as if you had merely to please people, but as slaves of Christ, who are trying to carry out the will of God.

٧ 7 عَامِلِينَ بِمَشِيئَةِ اللهِ مِنَ الْقَلْبِ، خَادِمِينَ بِنِيَّةٍ حَسَنَةٍ كَمَا لِلرَّبِّ، لَا لِلنَّاسِ.

Give your service heartily and cheerfully, as working for the Master and not for people;

٨ 8 فَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مَهْمَا عَمِلَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ، فَسَوْفَ يَنَالُ الْمُكَافَأَةَ مِنَ الرَّبِّ، سَوَاءٌ أَكَانَ عَبْداً أَمْ حُرّاً.

for you know that everyone will be rewarded by the Master for any honest work that he has done, whether he is a slave or free.

٩ 9 وَأَنْتُمْ، أَيُّهَا السَّادَةُ، عَامِلُوهُمْ بِمِثْلِ هذِهِ الْمُعَامَلَةِ غَيْرَ لاجِئِينَ إِلَى التَّهْدِيدِ، عَالِمِينَ أَنَّ سَيِّدَكُمْ وَسَيِّدَهُمْ هُوَ فِي السَّمَاءِ، وَهُوَ لَا يُحَابِي أَحَداً.

And masters, treat your slaves in the same spirit. Give up threatening them; for you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that before him there is no distinction of rank.

١٠ 10 وَخِتَاماً، تَشَدَّدُوا فِي الرَّبِّ وَفِي قُدْرَةِ قُوَّتِهِ.

For the future, find strength in your union with the Lord, and in the power which comes from his might.

١١ 11 الْبَسُوا سِلاحَ اللهِ الْكَامِلَ، لِتَتَمَكَّنُوا مِنَ الصُّمُودِ فِي وَجْهِ مَكَايِدِ إِبْلِيسَ.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground against the stratagems of the devil.

١٢ 12 فَإِنَّ حَرْبَنَا لَيْسَتْ ضِدَّ ذَوِي اللَّحْمِ وَالدَّمِ، بَلْ ضِدُّ الرِّئَاسَاتِ، ضِدُّ السُّلُطَاتِ، ضِدُّ أَسْيَادِ الْعَالَمِ حُكَّامِ هَذَا الظَّلامِ، ضِدُّ قِوَى الشَّرِّ الرُّوحِيَّةِ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ. (aiōn g165)

For ours is no struggle against enemies of flesh and blood, but against all the various powers of evil that hold sway in the darkness around us, against the spirits of wickedness on high. (aiōn g165)

١٣ 13 لِذَلِكَ اتَّخِذُوا سِلاحَ اللهِ الْكَامِلَ، لِتَتَمَكَّنُوا مِنَ الْمُقَاوَمَةِ فِي يَوْمِ الشَّرِّ، وَمِنَ الصُّمُودِ أَيْضاً بَعْدَ تَحْقِيقِ كُلِّ هَدَفٍ.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the evil day comes, you may be able to withstand the attack, and, having fought to the end, still to stand your ground.

١٤ 14 فَاصْمُدُوا إِذَنْ بَعْدَ أَنْ تَتَّخِذُوا الْحَقَّ حِزَاماً لأَوْسَاطِكُمْ، وَالصَّلاحَ دِرْعاً لِصُدُورِكُمْ،

Stand your ground, then, with truth for your belt, and with righteousness for your breastplate,

١٥ 15 وَالاسْتِعْدَادَ لِنَشْرِ بِشَارَةِ السَّلامِ حِذَاءً لأَقْدَامِكُمْ.

and with the readiness to serve the good news of peace as shoes for your feet.

١٦ 16 وَفَوْقَ هَذَا كُلِّهِ، احْمِلُوا الإِيمَانَ تُرْساً بِهِ تَقْدِرُونَ أَنْ تُطْفِئُوا جَمِيعَ سِهَامِ الشِّرِّيرِ الْمُشْتَعِلَةِ.

At every onslaught take up faith for your shield; for with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.

١٧ 17 وَاتَّخِذُوا الْخَلاصَ خُوذَةً لِلرَّأْسِ، وَكَلِمَةَ اللهِ سَيْفَ الرُّوحِ.

And receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit – which is the message of God – always with prayer and supplication.

١٨ 18 صَلُّوا فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ، بِكُلِّ صَلاةٍ وَطِلْبَةٍ فِي الرُّوحِ، وَسَاهِرِينَ لِهَذَا الْغَرَضِ عَيْنِهِ مُوَاظِبِينَ تَمَاماً عَلَى جَمِيعِ الطِّلْبَاتِ لأَجْلِ الْقِدِّيسِينَ جَمِيعاً،

Pray in spirit at all times. Be intent on this, with unwearying perseverance and supplication for all Christ’s people –

١٩ 19 وَلأَجْلِي كَيْ أُلْهَمَ مَا أَنْطِقُ بِهِ كُلَّمَا فَتَحْتُ فَمِي لأُعْلِنَ بِجُرْأَةٍ سِرَّ الإِنْجِيلِ

and on my behalf also, so that when I begin to speak, words may be given me, so that I may fearlessly make known the inmost truth of the good news,

٢٠ 20 الَّذِي أَنَا سَفِيرُهُ الْمُقَيَّدُ بِالسَّلاسِلِ، فَأَكُونُ جَرِيئاً فِي إِعْلانِهِ كَمَا يَجِبُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ.

on behalf of which I am an ambassador – in chains! Pray that, in telling it, I may speak fearlessly as I ought.

٢١ 21 وَلِكَيْ تَعْرِفُوا أَحْوَالِي وَأَخْبَارَ عَمَلِي، فَإِنَّ تِيخِيكُسَ، الأَخَ الْحَبِيبَ وَالْخَادِمَ الأَمِينَ فِي الرَّبِّ، يُخْبِرُكُمْ بِها جَمِيعاً.

To enable you, as well as others, to know all that concerns me and what I am doing, Tychicus, our dear friend and faithful helper in the Master’s cause, will tell you everything.

٢٢ 22 وَقَدْ أَرْسَلْتُهُ إِلَيْكُمْ لِهَذَا الأَمْرِ بِعَيْنِهِ: لِتَعْرِفُوا أَحْوَالِي فَتَتَشَجَّعُ قُلُوبُكُمْ.

I am sending him to you on purpose that you may learn all about us, and that he may cheer your hearts.

٢٣ 23 سَلامٌ إِلَى الإِخْوَةِ، وَمَحَبَّةٌ مَعَ إِيمَانٍ، مِنَ اللهِ الآبِ وَالرَّبِّ يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ!

May God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ give every follower peace, and love linked with faith.

٢٤ 24 لِتَكُنِ النِّعْمَةُ مَعَ جَمِيعِ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ رَبَّنَا يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحَ مَحَبَّةً لَا يَعْتَرِيهَا الْفَسَادُ!

May God’s blessing be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.