| NET Bible | 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 accompanied by a promise, namely, | 2“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: |
| 3"that it may go well with you and that you will live a long time 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.” |
| 4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but raise them up in the discipline 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. |
| 6not like those who do their work only when someone is watching--as people-pleasers--but as slaves 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. |
| 7Obey with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lord and not people, | 7Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. |
| 8because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this will be rewarded by the Lord. | 8Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. |
| 9Masters, treat your slaves the same way, giving up the use of threats, because you know that both you and they have the same master 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 in the Lord and in the strength of his power. | 10A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. |
| 11Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes 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 struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers 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. |
| 13For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, 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 firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, | 14Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. |
| 15by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace, | 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. |
| 16and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can 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. |
| 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. |
| 18With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests 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 for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speak--that I may confidently 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. Pray that I may be able to 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 |
| 21Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you, so that you too may know about my circumstances, how I am doing. | 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 have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may 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 sisters, 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 of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. | 24May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. |
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