Wives and Husbands

22 (A)Wives, (B)submit to your own husbands, (C)as to the Lord.

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22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands(A) as you do to the Lord.(B)

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Children and Parents

(A)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (B)“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, (C)but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

(D)Bondservants,[a] obey your earthly masters[b] with fear and trembling, (E)with a sincere heart, (F)as you would Christ,

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 6:5 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 6; likewise for bondservant in verse 8
  2. Ephesians 6:5 Or your masters according to the flesh

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.(A) “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a](B)

Fathers,[b] do not exasperate your children;(C) instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.(D)

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect(E) and fear, and with sincerity of heart,(F) just as you would obey Christ.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 6:3 Deut. 5:16
  2. Ephesians 6:4 Or Parents

Rules for Christian Households

18 (A)Wives, submit to your husbands, as (B)is fitting in the Lord.

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Instructions for Christian Households(A)

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands,(B) as is fitting in the Lord.

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20 Children, obey your parents (A)in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey (B)in everything those who are your earthly masters,[a] not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 (C)Whatever you do, work heartily, (D)as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord (E)you will receive the inheritance as your reward. (F)You are serving the Lord Christ.

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:22 Or your masters according to the flesh

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

21 Fathers,[a] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance(A) from the Lord as a reward.(B) It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:21 Or Parents

The Enticement of Sinners

(A)Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
    and forsake not your mother's teaching,

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Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son,(A) to your father’s(B) instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(C)

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A Father's Wise Instruction

(A)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may (B)gain[a] insight,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
    pay attention and gain understanding.(C)

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20 (A)A wise son makes a glad father,
    but a foolish man despises his mother.

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20 A wise son brings joy to his father,(A)
    but a foolish man despises his mother.

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20 (A)If one curses his father or his mother,
    (B)his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

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20 If someone curses their father or mother,(A)
    their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.(B)

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17 (A)“Whoever curses[a] his father or his mother shall be put to death.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 21:17 Or dishonors; Septuagint reviles

17 “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.(A)

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Submission to the Authorities

13 Let every person (A)be subject to the governing authorities. For (B)there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you (C)will receive his approval, for (D)he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, (E)an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also (F)for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. (G)Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

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Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,(A) for there is no authority except that which God has established.(B) The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,(C) and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.(D) For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.(E) Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.(F)

This is also why you pay taxes,(G) for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes;(H) if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

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