Family Relations

18 (A)Wives, (B)be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 (C)Husbands, love your wives and do not become bitter against them. 20 (D)Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing [a]to the Lord. 21 (E)Fathers, do not [b]antagonize your children, so that they will not become discouraged.

22 [c](F)Slaves, obey those who are your [d]human masters in everything, (G)not with [e]eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work [f]heartily, (H)as for the Lord and not for people, 24 (I)knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward [g]of (J)the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you (K)serve. 25 For (L)the one who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and [h](M)that without partiality.

Masters, grant your slaves justice and fairness, (N)knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:20 Lit in
  2. Colossians 3:21 Or provoke to anger
  3. Colossians 3:22 I.e., slaves in first-century Roman culture
  4. Colossians 3:22 Lit masters according to flesh
  5. Colossians 3:22 I.e., working only when watched
  6. Colossians 3:23 Lit from the soul
  7. Colossians 3:24 I.e., consisting of
  8. Colossians 3:25 Lit there is no partiality

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