Bible Gateway passage: Ephesians 6 - Easy-to-Read Version (2024)

Children and Parents

6Children, obey your parents the way the Lord wants, because this is the right thing to do. ²The command says, “You must respect your father and mother.”^[a] This is the first command that has a promise with it. ³And this is the promise: “Then all will go well with you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”^[b]

⁴Fathers, don’t make your children angry, but raise them with the kind of teaching and training you learn from the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

⁵Slaves, obey your masters here on earth with fear and respect. And do this with a heart that is true, just as you obey Christ. ⁶You must do this not just to please your masters while they are watching, but all the time. Since you are really slaves of Christ, you must do with all your heart what God wants. ⁷Do your work, and be happy to do it. Work as though it is the Lord you are serving, not just an earthly master. ⁸Remember that the Lord will give everyone a reward for doing good. Everyone, slave or free, will get a reward for the good things they do.

⁹Masters, in the same way, be good to your slaves. Don’t say things to scare them. You know that the one who is your Master and their Master is in heaven, and he treats everyone the same.

Wear the Full Armor of God

¹⁰To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. ¹¹Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. ¹²Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.

¹⁴So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. ¹⁵On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. ¹⁶And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One. ¹⁷Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. ¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.

¹⁹Also pray for me—that when I speak, God will give me words so that I can tell the secret truth about the Good News without fear. ²⁰I have the work of speaking for that Good News, and that is what I am doing now, here in prison. Pray that when I tell people the Good News, I will speak without fear as I should.

Final Greetings

²¹I am sending you Tychicus, the brother we love. He is a faithful servant of the Lord’s work. He will tell you everything that is happening with me. Then you will know how I am and what I am doing. ²²That’s why I am sending him—to let you know how we are and to encourage you.

²³I pray that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will give peace and love with faith to all the brothers and sisters there. ²⁴God’s grace to all of you who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love that never ends.