Ê-phê-sô 6

Children and parents

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right.^{a 2}“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment that comes with a promise: ³“so that things may go well for you and you may enjoy a long life on the earth.”^b

⁴Fathers, do not drive your children to anger. Instead, bring them up with the Lord’s training and correction.

Slaves and masters

⁵Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling and with an undivided heart, as you obey Christ. ⁶Do not work only while they are watching, to win their favor. Work as slaves of Christ, who do the will of God. Serve as slaves with all your heart ⁷and with goodwill, as serving the Lord and not people, ⁸because you know that the Lord will repay each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

⁹Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Stop threatening them, because you know that the one who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and he does not show favoritism.

God’s complete armor

¹⁰Finally, be made strong in the Lord and in his mighty strength.^{c 11}Clothe yourselves in God’s complete armor, so that you can hold your ground against the devil’s cunning plans. ¹²Our fight is not with flesh and blood. It is with the rulers, with the authorities, with the world rulers of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.^{d 13}For this reason, take up God’s complete armor. Then you will be able to resist on the evil day and, having carried everything through, remain standing.^{e 14}So stand your ground. Tie truth around your waist as a belt, and put on righteousness as your breastplate. ¹⁵For shoes, put on the readiness that the gospel of peace gives. ¹⁶In every situation take up faith as your shield; with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows of the evil one.^{fg 17}Receive salvation as your helmet, and the sword that the Spirit gives, which is the word of God. ¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at every opportunity, with every kind of prayer and request. To that end, keep watch, never giving up, and make requests for all God’s holy people. ¹⁹Pray also for me, that when I open my mouth I will be given the words to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. ²⁰For its sake I am an ambassador, though in a chain. Pray that I may speak of it boldly, as I must.^h

Tychicus, and a closing blessing

²¹Tychicus, our dear brother and a faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you too may know how I am and what I am doing. ²²I am sending him to you for this very reason, so that you may know how we are and so that he may encourage your hearts.

²³Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love that will never perish.ⁱ