Colossians 3:18-25

GOD’S WORD Translation

Advice for Wives and Husbands, Parents and Children, Slaves and Masters

¹⁸ Wives, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority. This is appropriate behavior for the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be harsh with them.

²⁰ Children, always obey your parents. This is pleasing to the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, don’t make your children resentful, or they will become discouraged.

²² Slaves, always obey your earthly masters. Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. Be sincere in your motives out of respect for your real master. ²³ Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans. ²⁴ You know that your real master will give you an inheritance as your reward. It is Christ, your real master, whom you are serving. ²⁵ The person who does wrong will be paid back for the wrong he has done. God does not play favorites.