Colossians 3:21

Amplified Bible

Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by favoritism or indifference; treat them tenderly with lovingkindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated [with their spirits broken].

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they won’t become discouraged.

King James Version (1611)
Fathers, prouoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

King James Version
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

English Standard Version
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

New American Standard Bible
Fathers, do not antagonize your children, so that they will not become discouraged.

New Century Version
Fathers, do not nag your children. If you are too hard to please, they may want to stop trying.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

Legacy Standard Bible
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

Berean Standard Bible
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.

Contemporary English Version
Parents, don't be hard on your children. If you are, they might give up.

Complete Jewish Bible
Fathers, don't irritate your children and make them resentful, or they will become discouraged.

Darby Translation
Fathers, do not vex your children, to the end that they be not disheartened.

Easy-to-Read Version
Fathers, don't upset your children. If you are too hard to please, they might want to stop trying.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Fathers, prouoke not your children to anger, least they be discouraged.

George Lamsa Translation
Parents, do not provoke your children, that they may not be discouraged.

Good News Translation
Parents, do not irritate your children, or they will become discouraged.

Lexham English Bible
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they will not become discouraged.

Literal Translation
Fathers, do not provoke your children, that they may not be disheartened.

American Standard Version
Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.

Bible in Basic English
Fathers, do not be hard on your children, so that their spirit may not be broken.

Hebrew Names Version
Fathers, don't provoke your children, so that they won't be discouraged.

International Standard Version
Fathers, do not make your children resentful, lest they become discouraged.Ephesians 6:4;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Fathers, exasperate not your children, that they be not discouraged.

Murdock Translation
Parents, anger not your children, lest they be discouraged.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Fathers, prouoke not your chyldren [to anger], lest they be discouraged.

English Revised Version
Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.

World English Bible
Fathers, don't provoke your children, so that they won't be discouraged.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Weymouth's New Testament
Fathers, do not fret and harass your children, or you may make them sullen and morose.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Fadris, nyle ye terre youre sones to indignacioun, that thei be not maad feble hertid.

Update Bible Version
Fathers, do not provoke your children, that they not be discouraged.

Webster's Bible Translation
Fathers, provoke not your children [to anger], lest they be discouraged.

New English Translation
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become disheartened.

New King James Version
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

New Living Translation
Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

New Life Bible
Fathers, do not be so hard on your children that they will give up trying to do what is right.

New Revised Standard
Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ye fathers! be not irritating your children, lest they be disheartened;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Fathers, provoke not your children to indignation, lest they be discouraged.

Revised Standard Version
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Fathers rate not youre children lest they be of a desperate mynde.

Young's Literal Translation
the fathers! vex not your children, lest they be discouraged.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ye fathers, rate not yor children, lest they be of a desperate mynde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
fathers, don't treat your children with severity, lest they be discourag'd.

THE MESSAGE
Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Dads, don't be bullies toward your kids or they'll end up hating you.

Contextual Overview

¹⁸Wives, be subject to your husbands [out of respect for their position as protector, and their accountability to God], as is proper and fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives [with an affectionate, sympathetic, selfless love that always seeks the best for them] and do not be embittered or resentful toward them [because of the responsibilities of marriage]. ²⁰Children, obey your parents [as God's representatives] in all things, for this [attitude of respect and obedience] is well-pleasing to the Lord [and will bring you God's promised blessings]. ²¹Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by favoritism or indifference; treat them tenderly with lovingkindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated [with their spirits broken].²²Servants, in everything obey those who are your masters on earth, not only with external service, as those who merely please people, but with sincerity of heart because of your fear of the Lord. ²³Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve. ²⁵For he who does wrong will be punished for his wrongdoing, and [with God] there is no partiality [no special treatment based on a person's position in life].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 103:13, Proverbs 3:12, Proverbs 4:1-4, Ephesians 6:4, 1 Thessalonians 2:11, Hebrews 12:5-11

Reciprocal: Colossians 3:19 - bitter

Cross-References

Genesis 3:2
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden,

Genesis 3:3
except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, 'You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.'"

Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Isaiah 61:10
I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has covered me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom puts on a turban, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Romans 3:22
This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God's Son]. There is no distinction,

2 Corinthians 5:21
He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger,....

:-.

lest they be discouraged; or disheartened and dispirited; their spirits be broke through grief and trouble, and they become indolent, sluggish, and unfit for business; or, despairing of having any share in the affections of their parents, disregard their commands, instructions, and corrections, and grow obdurate, stubborn, and rebellious.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Fathers, provoke not ... - Notes, Ephesians 6:4.

Lest they be discouraged - Lest, by your continually finding fault with them, they should lose all courage, and despair of ever pleasing you. There is much sound sense and practical wisdom in this observation of the apostle. Children should not be flattered, but they should be encouraged. They should not be so praised as to make them vain and proud, but they should be commended when they do well. The desire of praise should not be the principle from which they should be taught to act, but they should feel that the approbation of parents is a desirable thing, and when they act so as to deserve that approbation, no injury is done them by their understanding it. He who always finds fault with a child; who is never satisfied with what he does; who scolds and frets and complains, let him do as he will, breaks his spirit, and soon destroys in the delicate texture of his soul all desire of doing well. The child in despair soon gives over every effort to please. He becomes sullen, morose, stupid, and indifferent to all the motives that can be presented to him, and becomes to a great extent indifferent as to what he does - since all that he does meets with the same reception from the parent.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. Fathers, provoke not — Ephesians 6:4; Ephesians 6:4.