< Ephesians 6 >

1 Children, be obedient to your parents as a Christian duty, for it is a duty.
Ye children, be obedient unto your parents [in the Lord], for this is right:
2 "Honour your father and your mother" --this is the first Commandment which has a promise added to it--
Honour thy father and thy mother, —which indeed is the first commandment with promise,
3 "so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth."
That it may come to be, well with thee, and thou shalt be long-lived upon the land.
4 And you, fathers, do not irritate your children, but bring them up tenderly with true Christian training and advice.
And ye fathers, be not provoking your children to anger, but be nourishing them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.
5 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.
Ye servants, be obedient unto them who, after the flesh, are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto the Christ;
6 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.
Not by way of eye-service as man-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God, from the soul,
7 With right good will, be faithful to your duty as service rendered to the Lord and not to man.
with good will, rendering service—as unto the Lord, and not unto men;
8 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.
Knowing that, each one, whatsoever he may do that is good, the same, shall he receive back from the Lord, whether bond or free.
9 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.
And ye masters, the same things, be doing towards them, forbearing your threat—knowing that, both their and your Master, is in the heavens, and, respect of persons, there is none, with him.
10 In conclusion, strengthen yourselves in the Lord and in the power which His supreme might imparts.
For the rest, be empowering yourselves in the Lord, and in the grasp of his might:
11 Put on the complete armour of God, so as to be able to stand firm against all the stratagems of the Devil.
Put on the complete armour of God, with a view to your having power to stand against the strategies of the adversary;
12 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)
Because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but, against the principalities, against the authorities, against the world-holders, of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies. (aiōn g165)
13 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.
For this cause, take up the complete armour of God, in order that ye may receive power to withstand in the evil day, and, all things, having accomplished, to stand!
14 Stand therefore, first fastening round you the girdle of truth and putting on the breastplate of uprightness
Stand therefore, —having girded your loins with truth, and put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 as well as the shoes of the Good News of peace-- a firm foundation for your feet.
And shod your feet with the readiness of the glad-message of peace;
16 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;
With all, having taken up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall have power, all the ignited darts of the wicked one, to quench;
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.
And, the helmet of salvation, welcome ye, and the sword of the spirit, which is what God hath spoken,
18 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,
With all prayer and supplication, praying in every season, in spirit, and, thereunto, watching, with all perseverance and supplication, for all the saints, —
19 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--
And on behalf of me; —that, unto me, may be given discourse in the opening of my mouth, with freedom of utterance, to make known the sacred secret [of the glad-message]
20 to spread which I am an ambassador in chains--so that when telling them I may speak out boldly as I ought.
In behalf of which I am conducting an embassy in chains, that, therein, I may use freedom of utterance as it is needful for me to speak.
21 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.
In order, however, that, ye also, may know the things which relate to me—what I am accomplishing, —all things, shall Tychicus make known unto you, [he] the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord,
22 I have sent him to you for the very purpose--that you may know about us and that he may encourage you.
Whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that ye may get to know the things concerning us, and he may encourage your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love combined with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace unto the brethren, and love with faith, —from God our Father, and Lord Jesus Christ.
24 May grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with perfect sincerity.
Favour be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptness.

< Ephesians 6 >