Ephesians 6
1 Children, obey your parents, as children of the Lord; for that is but right.
Children, be obedient to your parents as a Christian duty, for it is a duty.
2 ‘Honor your father and mother’ – this is the first Commandment with a promise –
"Honour your father and your mother" --this is the first Commandment which has a promise added to it--
3 ‘so that you may prosper and have a long life on earth.’
"so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth."
4 And fathers, do not irritate your children, but bring them up with Christian discipline and instruction.
And you, fathers, do not irritate your children, but bring them up tenderly with true Christian training and advice.
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters, with anxious care, giving them ungrudging service, as if obeying the Christ;
Slaves, be obedient to your earthly masters, with respect and eager anxiety to please and with simplicity of motive as if you were obeying Christ.
6 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.
Let it not be in acts of eye-service as if you had but to please men, but as Christ's bondservants who are doing God's will from the heart.
7 Give your service heartily and cheerfully, as working for the Master and not for people;
With right good will, be faithful to your duty as service rendered to the Lord and not to man.
8 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.
You well know that whatever right thing any one does, he will receive a requital for it from the Lord, whether he is a slave or a free man.
9 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.
And you masters, act towards your slaves on the same principles, and refrain from threats. For you know that in Heaven there is One who is your Master as well as theirs, and that merely earthly distinctions there are none with Him.
10 For the future, find strength in your union with the Lord, and in the power which comes from his might.
In conclusion, strengthen yourselves in the Lord and in the power which His supreme might imparts.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground against the stratagems of the devil.
Put on the complete armour of God, so as to be able to stand firm against all the stratagems of the Devil.
12 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)
For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood, but with the despotisms, the empires, the forces that control and govern this dark world--the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare. (aiōn g165)
13 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.
Therefore put on the complete armour of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground on the day of battle, and, having fought to the end, to remain victors on the field.
14 Stand your ground, then, with truth for your belt, and with righteousness for your breastplate,
Stand therefore, first fastening round you the girdle of truth and putting on the breastplate of uprightness
15 and with the readiness to serve the good news of peace as shoes for your feet.
as well as the shoes of the Good News of peace-- a firm foundation for your feet.
16 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.
And besides all these take the great shield of faith, on which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the Wicked one;
17 And receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit – which is the message of God – always with prayer and supplication.
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.
18 Pray in spirit at all times. Be intent on this, with unwearying perseverance and supplication for all Christ’s people –
Pray with unceasing prayer and entreaty on every fitting occasion in the Spirit, and be always on the alert to seize opportunities for doing so, with unwearied persistence and entreaty on behalf of all God's people,
19 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,
and ask on my behalf that words may be given to me so that, outspoken and fearless, I may make known the truths (hitherto kept secret) of the Good News--
20 on behalf of which I am an ambassador – in chains! Pray that, in telling it, I may speak fearlessly as I ought.
to spread which I am an ambassador in chains--so that when telling them I may speak out boldly as I ought.
21 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.
But in order that you also may know how I am doing, Tychicus our dearly-loved brother and faithful helper in the Lord's service will tell you everything.
22 I am sending him to you on purpose that you may learn all about us, and that he may cheer your hearts.
I have sent him to you for the very purpose--that you may know about us and that he may encourage you.
23 May God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ give every follower peace, and love linked with faith.
Peace be to the brethren, and love combined with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 May God’s blessing be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
May grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with perfect sincerity.
