| New King James Version | 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 promise: | 2“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: |
| 3“that it may be well with you and you may live long 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.” |
| 4And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition 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 |
| 5Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; | 5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. |
| 6not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the 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. |
| 7with goodwill doing service, 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 anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a 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 you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality 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, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. | 10A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. |
| 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles 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 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. | 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 whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, 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 therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, | 14Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. |
| 15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; | 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. |
| 16above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked 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. |
| 18praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication 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. |
| 19and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to 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; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. | 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 |
| 21But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; | 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. |
| 22whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort 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 brethren, 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 those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. | 24May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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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