Children and Parents

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

2“Honor yoʋr father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise),

3“that it may be well with yoʋ and yoʋ may live long on the earth.”

4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

6Do not try to please them only when they are watching you, but act like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

7³³Serve with a good attitude, as serving the Lord and not men,

8knowing that whatever good anyone does he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

9Masters, do the same for your slaves and stop threatening them, because you know that ³⁴your own Master is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

The Full Armor of God

10Finally, ³⁵my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

11Put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of ³⁶the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

13Therefore take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to resist the enemy on the day of evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm.

14Stand firm therefore by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, putting on the breastplate of righteousness,

15and shodding your feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace.

16³⁷Above all, take up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every prayer and supplication, and to this end, stay alert and be persistent in praying for all the saints.

19Pray also for me, so that when I open my mouth to speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I should.

Final Greetings

21Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will give you a full report about how I am doing so that you may be informed.

22I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts.

23Peace be with the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

24Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. ³⁸Amen. ³⁹