Eph 6 | ISV | STEP | Advice for Children and Parents Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.

Ephesians 6

1 Advice for Children and Parents

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, ^{▼▼Other mss. lack in the Lord} for this is the right thing to do.Prov 23:22; Col 3:20 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is a very important commandment with a promise:Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16; 27:16; Jer 35:18; Ezek 22:7; Mal 1:6; Matt 15:4; Mark 7:10 3 “So that it may go well for you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.” ^{▼▼Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16}

4 Fathers, do not make your children angry, but bring them up in the training ^{▼▼Or discipline} and instruction of the Lord.Gen 18:19; Deut 4:9; 11:19; Ps 78:4; Prov 19:18; 22:6; 29:17; Col 3:21

5 Advice for Slaves and MastersSlaves, obey your earthly masters with fear, with trembling, and along with sincerity, ^{▼▼Lit. With sincerity} as when you obey Christ. ^{▼▼Lit. as to Christ}1Chr 29:17; 2Cor 7:15; Phil 2:12; Col 3:22; 1Tim 6:1; Titus 2:9; 1Pet 2:18 6 Do not do this only while being watched in order to please them, but be like slaves of Christ who do God's will from the heart.Col 3:22-23 7 Serve willingly, as if you were serving the Lord and not merely people. ^{▼▼Lit. as to the Lord and not people} 8 For you know that everyone will receive a reward from the Lord for whatever good he has done, whether he is a slave or free.Rom 2:6; 2Cor 5:10; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11, 24

9 Masters, treat your slaves ^{▼▼Lit. them} the same way. Do not threaten them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.Lev 25:43; John 13:13; Rom 2:11; 1Cor 7:22; Col 3:25; 4:1

10 Putting on the Whole Armor of GodFinally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty strength.Eph 1:19; 3:16; Col 1:11 11 Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the devil's strategies. ^{▼▼Or schemes}Rom 13:12; 2Cor 6:7; Eph 6:13; 1Thes 5:8 12 For our ^{▼▼Other mss. read your} struggle is not against a human opponent, ^{▼▼Lit. flesh and blood} but against rulers, against authorities, against cosmic powers in the darkness around us, ^{▼▼Lit. of this darkness} against evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.Matt 16:17; Luke 22:53; John 12:31; 14:30; Rom 8:38; 1Cor 15:50; Eph 1:21; 2:2; Col 1:13; 2:15 13 For this reason, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to take a stand in that evil day. And when you have done everything you could, you will be able to stand firm.2Cor 10:4; Eph 5:16; 6:11

14 Stand firm, therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,Isa 11:5; 59:17; Luke 12:35; 2Cor 6:7; 1Thes 5:8; 1Pet 1:13 15 and having put shoes on your feet so that you are ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. ^{▼▼Lit. in readiness for the gospel of peace}Isa 52:7; Rom 10:15 16 In addition to all of these, having taken up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one,1John 5:4 17 also take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.Isa 59:17; 1Thes 5:8; Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16; 2:16; 19:15

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert with every kind of effort and request for all the saints.Matt 26:41; Mark 13:33; Luke 18:1; Rom 12:12; Eph 1:16; Phil 1:4; Col 4:2; 1Thes 5:17; 1Tim 2:1 19 Pray ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks Pray} also for me, so that, when I open my mouth, the right words will be given to me. Then I will boldly make known the secret of the gospel,Acts 4:29; 2Cor 3:12; Col 4:3; 2Thes 3:1 20 for whose sake I am an ambassador in chains, desiring to declare it as boldly as I should. ^{▼▼Lit. as I should speak}Acts 26:29; 2Cor 5:20; Eph 3:1; Phil 1:7, 13-14, 20; 1Thes 2:2; 2Tim 1:16; 2:9

21 Final GreetingSo that you may know what has happened to me and how I am doing, Tychicus, our dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything.Acts 20:4; Col 4:7; 2Tim 4:12; Titus 3:12 22 I am sending him to you for this very reason, so that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts.Col 4:8 23 May the brothers have peace and love, with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!1Pet 5:14 24 May grace be with all who love the Lord Jesus Christ with sincerity! ^{▼▼Other mss. read with sincerity! Amen.}Titus 2:7