Colossians 3:21

Bishop's Bible

Fathers, prouoke not your chyldren [to anger], lest they be discouraged.

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.

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.

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 Wiues, submit your selues vnto your owne husbandes, as it is comely in the Lorde. ¹⁹ Husbandes, loue your wyues, and be not bitter agaynst them: ²⁰ Chyldren, obey your fathers and mothers in all thynges, for that is well pleasyng vnto the Lorde. ²¹ Fathers, prouoke not your chyldren [to anger], lest they be discouraged. ²² Seruauntes, obey in all thynges to your bodyly maisters: not with eye seruice, as men pleasers, but in singlenesse of heart, fearyng God. ²³ And whatsoeuer ye do, do it heartilie, as to the Lorde, and not vnto men: ²⁴ Knowyng, that of the Lorde ye shall receaue the rewarde of inheritaunce, for ye serue the Lorde Christe: ²⁵ But he that doth wrong, shall receaue for the wrong he hath done: And there is no respect of persons.

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 sayde vnto the serpent: We eate of ye fruite of the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:3
But as for the fruite of the tree which is in the myddes of the garden, God hath sayde, ye shall not eate of it, neither shal ye touche of it, lest peraduenture ye dye.

Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knewe that they were naked, and they sowed fygge leaues together, & made them selues apernes.

Isaiah 61:10
And therefore I am ioyfull in the Lorde, and my soule reioyceth in God: For he hath put vpon me the garment of saluation, and couered me with the mantle of righteousnesse: He shal decke me lyke a bridegrome, and as a bride that hath her apparell vpon her.

Romans 3:22
The ryghteousnes of God [commeth] by the fayth of Iesus Christe, vnto all and vpon all them that beleue. There is no difference:

2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sinne for vs, whiche knewe no sinne, that we shoulde be made the ryghteousnesse of God in hym.

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.