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Children and Parents

^1 (a)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2 (b)"Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." ⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, ^(c)but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

^5 (d)Bondservants,^[a] obey your earthly masters^[b] with fear and trembling, ^(e)with a sincere heart, ^(f)as you would Christ, ⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as ^(g)people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, ^8 (h)knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, ⁽ⁱ⁾whether he is a bondservant or is free. ⁹ Masters, do the same to them, ^(j)and stop your threatening, knowing that ^(k)he who is both their Master^[c] and yours is in heaven, and that ^(l)there is no partiality with him.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(m)be strong in the Lord and in ⁽ⁿ⁾the strength of his might. ^11 (o)Put on ^(p)the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ^(q)the schemes of the devil. ¹² For ^(r)we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(s)the rulers, against the authorities, against ^(t)the cosmic powers over ^(u)this present darkness, against ^(v)the spiritual forces of evil ^(w)in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore ^(x)take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in ^(y)the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, ^(z)having fastened on the belt of truth, and ^(aa)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, ^(ab)as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up ^(ac)the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all ^(ad)the flaming darts of ^(ae)the evil one; ¹⁷ and take ^(af)the helmet of salvation, and ^(ag)the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying ^(ah)at all times ^(ai)in the Spirit, ^(aj)with all prayer and supplication. To that end, ^(ak)keep alert with all perseverance, making ^(al)supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and ^(am)also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth ^(an)boldly to proclaim ^(ao)the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I ^(ap)am an ambassador ^(aq)in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Final Greetings

^21 (ar)So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, ^(as)Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. ²² I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may ^(at)encourage your hearts.

^23 (au)Peace be to the brothers,^[d] and ^(av)love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace be with all who ^(aw)love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.