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Thursday, August 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Bible in Basic English

Colossians 3:21

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Parents;   Thompson Chain Reference - Children;   Duty;   Fathers;   Home;   Parental;   Social Duties;   The Topic Concordance - Parents;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Anger;   Parents;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Family;   Men;   Parents;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Family Life and Relations;   Teach, Teacher;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Father;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Christian Life;   Commandment;   Liberty;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ephesians, Epistle to the;   Provocation;  

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

18 Wives, be under the authority of your husbands, as is right in the Lord. 19 Husbands, have love for your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, do the orders of your fathers and mothers in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not be hard on your children, so that their spirit may not be broken. 22 Servants, in all things do the orders of your natural masters; not only when their eyes are on you, as pleasers of men, but with all your heart, fearing the Lord: 23 Whatever you do, do it readily, as to the Lord and not to men; 24 Being certain that the Lord will give you the reward of the heritage: for you are the servants of the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will have punishment for the wrong he has done, without respect for any man's position.

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, We may take of the fruit of the trees in the garden:
Genesis 3:3
But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, If you take of it or put your hands on it, death will come to you.
Genesis 3:7
And their eyes were open and they were conscious that they had no clothing and they made themselves coats of leaves stitched together.
Isaiah 61:10
I will be full of joy in the Lord, my soul will be glad in my God; for he has put on me the clothing of salvation, covering me with the robe of righteousness, as the husband puts on a fair head-dress, and the bride makes herself beautiful with jewels.
Romans 3:22
That is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have faith; and one man is not different from another,
2 Corinthians 5:21
For him who had no knowledge of sin God made to be sin for us; so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

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 notEphesians 6:4; Ephesians 6:4.


 
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