Colossians 3:18-4

New American Standard Bible

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. ²³Whatever 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. ²⁵For ^(L)the one who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and ^[h]^(M)that without partiality.

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

²^(O)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³praying at the same time ^(P)for us as well, that God will open up to us a ^(Q)door for ^(R)the word, so that we may proclaim ^(S)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also ^(T)been imprisoned; ⁴that I may make it clear ^(U)in the way that I ought to proclaim it.

⁵^[i]^(V)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward ^(W)outsiders, ^[j]^(X)making the most of the opportunity. ⁶^(Y)Your speech must always be ^[k]with grace, as though seasoned with ^(Z)salt, so that you will know how you should ^(AA)respond to each person.

⁷^(AB)As to all my affairs, ^(AC)Tychicus, our ^(AD)beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. ⁸^(AE)For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may ^(AF)encourage your hearts; ⁹^[l]and with him is ^(AG)Onesimus, our faithful and ^(AH)beloved brother, ^(AI)who is one of your own. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

¹⁰^(AJ)Aristarchus, my ^(AK)fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also ^(AL)Barnabas’ cousin Mark (about whom you received ^[m]instructions; ^(AM)if he comes to you, welcome him); ¹¹and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only ^(AN)fellow workers for the kingdom of God ^(AO)who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. ¹²^(AP)Epaphras, ^(AQ)who is one of your own, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always ^(AR)striving earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may ^[n]stand ^[o]^(AS)mature and ^[p]fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³For I testify for him that he has ^[q]a deep concern for you and for those who are in ^(AT)Laodicea and Hierapolis. ¹⁴^(AU)Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and ^(AV)Demas does also. ¹⁵Greet the brothers and sisters who are in ^(AW)Laodicea and also ^[r]Nympha and ^(AX)the church that is in ^[s]her house. ¹⁶^(AY)When ^[t]this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part, ^(AZ)read ^[u]my letter that is coming from ^(BA)Laodicea. ¹⁷Tell ^(BB)Archippus, “See to the ^(BC)ministry which you have received in the Lord, so that you may ^[v]fulfill it.”