Book of Common Prayer

¹⁸ Wives, obey your husbands. This is the right way to live when you belong to the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be unkind to them.

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

²¹ Fathers, do not make your children angry. They might stop trying to do right.

²² Servants, obey your boss in everything. Obey always, not only when he is looking at you as if you were pleasing a man. Do it with all your heart because you respect the Lord.

²³ Whatever your work is, do it gladly. Do it as you would do it unto the Lord and not for people.

²⁴ You know you will get pay from the Lord, for you are the servants of the Lord Christ.

²⁵ The person who does wrong will be punished for the wrong he has done. God does not love one person more than another.

4 You who are a boss, do what is right to your servants. You know that you also have a Master in heaven.

² Always take time to talk to God. Put your mind on what you are saying. And thank God for what he has done.

³ Talk to God about us too. Ask him to open a way for us to tell people his message. We want to tell God's plan about Christ. That is why I am in prison because of that plan.

⁴ I want to be free to talk about it as I should do.

⁵ Act the right way to people who are not Christians. Make good use of your time.

⁶ Always say good things when you talk. Talk in a way that will make people listen. Then you will know how to answer people.

⁷ Tychicus will tell you all about me. He is a brother whom I love. He is a very good helper and works with me in the Lord's work.

⁸ I am sending him to you so that you will know about us and so that he may comfort your hearts.

⁹ I am sending Onesimus with him. He is also a good brother whom I love. He is one of you. They will tell you all about everything here.

¹⁰ Here are the people who send you greetings: Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, and Mark, a cousin of Barnabas. I have already told you to welcome him if he comes to you.

¹¹ Jesus, whose other name is Justus, also sends greetings. These men are the only Jews who are doing God's work with me. And they have comforted me much.

¹² Epaphras sends you greetings. He is one of you and is a servant of Christ Jesus. He always talks to God about you with all his heart. He asks God to help you to be strong so that you will become grown-up Christians and know all that God wants you to do.

¹³ I myself have seen how hard he has worked for you and for the people in the cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis.

¹⁴ Luke, the doctor whom I love, and Demas also greet you.

¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and also to Nympha and the church people who meet in her house.

¹⁶ When you have read this letter, then be sure that it is also read to the church people in Laodicea. And be sure that you read the letter which will be sent to you from Laodicea.

¹⁷ Tell Archippus, `See that you do all the work which the Lord has given you to do.'

¹⁸ I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember that I am in prison. God bless you.

5 When Jesus saw the many people, he went up on a hill. He sat down and his disciples came to him.

² He began to teach the people.

³ He said, `God makes happy those who know that they need him. The kingdom of heaven is for them.

⁴ `God makes happy those who are sad. They will have comfort.

⁵ `God makes happy those who quietly trust him and do not try to get their own way. The world will belong to them.

⁶ `God makes happy those who are hungry and thirsty for what is right and good. They will be filled.

⁷ `God makes happy those who are kind. He will be kind to them.

⁸ `God makes happy those who have clean hearts. They will see God.

⁹ `God makes happy those who make peace between people. They will be called God's sons.

¹⁰ `God makes happy those who have trouble for doing what is right. The kingdom of heaven is for them.