JMNT(i)
18 Wives, be habitually aligned to humbly support (or, as a middle: place and arrange yourselves in order, under) [
your]
husbands (or: Women, continue subjecting yourselves to the adult males [note: this was culturally appropriate at that time]),
in the same way as there has progressively come again to be a connection in [
the]
Lord (or: since there has been an arrival back in union with [our] Master and Owner).
19 Husbands, habitually love [
your]
wives (or: Adult males, be constantly showing loving acceptance to the women),
and do not become repeatedly sharp toward them (or: stop being rough, bitter or insensitive to them).
20 Children, continue submissively hearing (or: paying attention),
being constantly obedient to the parents in regard to all things (corresponding to every situation),
for this continues being well-pleasing, within the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not constantly excite (or: continuously incite or stimulate; repeatedly irritate, vex or provoke)
your children, so that they would not become habitually without strong passion (discouraged and timid; without motivation; dispirited, listless, moody or sullen).
22 Slaves, in regard to all things continue submissively hearing, paying attention and being constantly obedient to those [
being]
owners (masters; lords)
on the level and the sphere of flesh (= human, or "earthly," masters) –
not within eye-slavery (bondage to eyes; = slavery to doing in order to be seen, or working only when someone is watching),
as desiring to please people (or: wanting to be pleasing to people so as to win their favor; human-pleasers),
but rather within simplicity (or: singleness)
of heart (or: single-hearted sincerity),
constantly being folks reverenced by the fear of (or, as a middle: being ones habitually engendering reverence because of respectful fear toward)
the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ;
p46 & other MSS: God].
23 Everything – whatever you folks may be habitually doing – be constantly working (doing business; practicing a trade; earning a living)
from out of soul (from the whole being: intellect, emotions, will),
as to (for; in)
the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ]
and not for people (to mankind),
24 having seen, and thus, knowing that you folks will receive back from the Lord [Yahweh or Christ]
and take away the corresponding compensation of,
from and which consists in the enjoyment of the allotted inheritance. Be constantly slaving for Christ, the Owner (Lord; Master) [or, with other MSS, and as an indicative: For you are constantly performing as a slave in (or: by; with) the Lord, in {the} Anointed One].
25 Certainly, the person habitually doing wrong (constantly acting unjustly or inequitably; repeatedly being unfair and walking contrary to the Way pointed out)
will continue receiving in himself what he wrongly does (or: will progressively take for his own dealing what inequity and unfairness he did) –
and there is no partiality (favoritism; consideration because of personal appearance or of the face presented; receiving of a facade; taking of personage into account).
4 1 Owners (Masters; Lords),
continuously hold at your side and present the right (the just; the fair; the equitable)
and the equal (what is the same as something else)
to and for [
your]
slaves – [
from]
having seen, and thus knowing, that you folks also continuously have an Owner (Master; Lord)
within heaven (or: [the] atmosphere; [other MSS: {the} heavens {or: atmospheres}]).