Epistle to the Ephesians - The New Testament

¹ Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord -- that is what uprightness demands.

² The first commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and your mother,

³ and the promise is: so that you may have long life and prosper in the land.

⁴ And parents, never drive your children to resentment but bring them up with correction and advice inspired by the Lord.

⁵ Slaves, be obedient to those who are, according to human reckoning, your masters, with deep respect and sincere loyalty, as you are obedient to Christ:

⁶ not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please human beings, but as slaves of Christ who wholeheartedly do the will of God.

⁷ Work willingly for the sake of the Lord and not for the sake of human beings.

⁸ Never forget that everyone, whether a slave or a free man, will be rewarded by the Lord for whatever work he has done well.

⁹ And those of you who are employers, treat your slaves in the same spirit; do without threats, and never forget that they and you have the same Master in heaven and there is no favouritism with him.

¹⁰ Finally, grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power.

¹¹ Put on the full armour of God so as to be able to resist the devil's tactics.

¹² For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and the ruling forces who are masters of the darkness in this world, the spirits of evil in the heavens.

¹³ That is why you must take up all God's armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance on the evil day, or stand your ground even though you exert yourselves to the full.

¹⁴ So stand your ground, with truth a belt round your waist, and uprightness a breastplate,

¹⁵ wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peace

¹⁶ and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to quench the burning arrows of the Evil One.

¹⁷ And then you must take salvation as your helmet and the sword of the Spirit, that is, the word of God.

¹⁸ In all your prayer and entreaty keep praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all God's holy people,

¹⁹ and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel

²⁰ of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as fearlessly as I ought to.

²¹ So that you know, as well, what is happening to me and what I am doing, my dear friend Tychicus, my trustworthy helper in the Lord, will tell you everything.

²² I am sending him to you precisely for this purpose, to give you news about us and encourage you thoroughly.

²³ May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ grant peace, love and faith to all the brothers.

²⁴ May grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ, in life imperishable.