6 1 Children, listen to your# parents in the Lord,° for this is right. 2 "Honor your* father and mother," which is the first commandment with a promise: 3 "that it may be well with you* and you* may have a long life on the earth" [Deuteronomy 5:16]. 4 And fathers, don't make your# children angry, but nourish them with [raise them in] the discipline [training] and instruction of the Lord.
5 Servants [slaves], listen° to your# lords [masters] according to the flesh with fear [respect] and trembling in the sincerity of your# heart as to the Messiah,
6 not according to eye-service [service performed only to attract attention or impress others] as men-pleasers,
but as servants [slaves] of Messiah,
doing the will of God from your# soul [sincerely],
7 serving with eagerness as to the Lord and not to men,
8 knowing that each one, if he does any good thing, will be paid this back by the Lord whether he is a servant [slave] or a free man.
9 And lords [masters], do the same to them, and stop threatening, knowing that both their Lord and yours# is in the heavens, and there is no partiality [favoritism] with him.
10 Finally, grow strong in the Lord and in the intensity of his might. 11 Put on the complete outfit of the armor of God, that you# may be able to stand against the scheming of the devil:
12 for our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers,°
against the principalities,°
against the world-class powers° of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.°
13 Therefore, take up the complete outfit of the armor of God, that you# may be able to resist [hold your# ground] in the evil day,°
and after you# have accomplished all° [after you# have been victorious over everything (that comes against you#)], to stand.°
14 Stand, therefore,
having first girded your# loins with truth° [Isaiah 11:5] and
having put on the breastplate of righteousness° [Isaiah 59:17] 15 and
having tied something on your# feet° in readiness to preach the gospel [the good news] of peace [Isaiah 52:7], 16 and in all circumstances°
having taken up the shield of faith [Psalm 91:4-5], with which you# will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one [Psalm 76:3];
17 and receive the helmet of salvation° [Isaiah 59:17]
and the sword of the Spirit, which is a word from God° [Isaiah 49:2],
18 while praying together in every appointed time, throughout every prayer and earnest request, in the Spirit, and being alert to him [the Spirit] in all your# perseverance in prayer and in every earnest request concerning all of the holy ones,
19 praying also for me,
that a word [a message] may be given to me when I open my mouth,° to make known with boldness the mystery of the good news, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains,
that in it [that word (or message)] I may speak boldly, as it is necessary for me to speak.
21-22 But so that you# may also know what my circumstances are and how I'm doing, Tychicus,° our beloved brother and faithful servant [deacon] in the Lord, whom I have sent to you# for this same purpose, will make everything known to you,# so that you# will know these things about us and it will comfort your# heart.
23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and Lord Jesus the Messiah. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus the Messiah with an incorruptible love.°