1 C hildren, as Christians, obey your parents. This is the right thing to do.

The children! obey your parents in the Lord, for this is righteous;

2 R espect your father and mother. This is the first Law given that had a promise.

honour thy father and mother,

3 T he promise is this: If you respect your father and mother, you will live a long time and your life will be full of many good things.

which is the first command with a promise, `That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live a long time upon the land.'

4 F athers, do not be too hard on your children so they will become angry. Teach them in their growing years with Christian teaching.

And the fathers! provoke not your children, but nourish them in the instruction and admonition of the Lord.

5 Y ou servants who are owned by someone must obey your owners. Work for them as hard as you can. Work for them the same as if you were working for Christ.

The servants! obey the masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to the Christ;

6 D o not work hard only when your owner sees you. You would be doing this just to please men. Work as you would work for Christ. Do what God wants you to do with all your heart.

not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as servants of the Christ, doing the will of God out of soul,

7 B e happy as you work. Do your work as for the Lord, not for men.

with good-will serving, as to the Lord, and not to men,

8 R emember this, whatever good thing you do, the Lord will pay you for it. It is the same to the Lord if you are a servant owned by someone or if you work for pay.

having known that whatever good thing each one may do, this he shall receive from the Lord, whether servant or freeman.

9 O wners, do the right thing for those who work for you. Stop saying that you are going to be hard on them. Remember that your Owner and their Owner is in heaven. God does not respect one person more than another. Things God Gives the Christian to Fight With

And the masters! the same things do ye unto them, letting threatening alone, having known that also your Master is in the heavens, and acceptance of persons is not with him.

10 T his is the last thing I want to say: Be strong with the Lord’s strength.

As to the rest, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might;

11 P ut on the things God gives you to fight with. Then you will not fall into the traps of the devil.

put on the whole armour of God, for your being able to stand against the wiles of the devil,

12 O ur fight is not with people. It is against the leaders and the powers and the spirits of darkness in this world. It is against the demon world that works in the heavens.

because we have not the wrestling with blood and flesh, but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, with the spiritual things of the evil in the heavenly places;

13 B ecause of this, put on all the things God gives you to fight with. Then you will be able to stand in that sinful day. When it is all over, you will still be standing.

because of this take ye up the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to resist in the day of the evil, and all things having done -- to stand.

14 S o stand up and do not be moved. Wear a belt of truth around your body. Wear a piece of iron over your chest which is being right with God.

Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about in truth, and having put on the breastplate of the righteousness,

15 W ear shoes on your feet which are the Good News of peace.

and having the feet shod in the preparation of the good-news of the peace;

16 M ost important of all, you need a covering of faith in front of you. This is to put out the fire-arrows of the devil.

above all, having taken up the shield of the faith, in which ye shall be able all the fiery darts of the evil one to quench,

17 T he covering for your head is that you have been saved from the punishment of sin. Take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. How and What to Pray For

and the helmet of the salvation receive, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the saying of God,

18 Y ou must pray at all times as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray. Pray for the things that are needed. You must watch and keep on praying. Remember to pray for all Christians.

through all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and in regard to this same, watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints --

19 P ray for me also. Pray that I might open my mouth without fear. Pray that I will use the right words to preach that which is hard to understand in the Good News.

and in behalf of me, that to me may be given a word in the opening of my mouth, in freedom, to make known the secret of the good news,

20 T his is the reason I was sent out. But now I am in chains for preaching the Good News. I want to keep on speaking for Christ without fear the way I should.

for which I am an ambassador in a chain, that in it I may speak freely -- as it behoveth me to speak.

21 T ychicus will tell you how I am getting along. He is a much-loved brother and a faithful preacher.

And that ye may know -- ye also -- the things concerning me -- what I do, all things make known to you shall Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful ministrant in the Lord,

22 I have sent him to you because I want him to tell you about us. He will comfort you.

whom I did send unto you for this very thing, that ye might know the things concerning us, and that he might comfort your hearts.

23 M ay all the Christian brothers have peace and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Peace to the brethren, and love, with faith, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!

24 M ay God give loving-favor to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love that never gets weak.

The grace with all those loving our Lord Jesus Christ -- undecayingly! Amen.