EPH 6:14 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Stand, therefore, having girded up your loins with truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

UST You must be ready to resist the devil and his evil spirits just as soldiers must always be ready to resist the enemy. To do that, keep thinking about the true things that God has shown you. Also, continue to act righteously. This will protect you like a soldier’s armor protects his chest.

BLB Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

AICNT Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.

OEB Stand your ground, then, with truth for your belt, and with righteousness for your breastplate,

WEBBE Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness,

LSV Stand, therefore, having your loins girded around in truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

FBV So stand up, wrap the belt of truth around your waist, tie on the breastplate of justice and the right,

TCNT Stand firm therefore by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, putting on the breastplate of righteousness,

T4T You must be ready to firmly resist the devil and his evil spirits [MET], just like soldiers must be ready to resist the enemy. Prepare for doing that by doing these things: To be strong spiritually, hold firmly to God’s truth, just like soldiers prepare ◄to stand firm against/to firmly resist► their enemies by fastening their belts around their waists [MET]. Act righteously in order to protect yourself against demonic attacks, just like soldiers put on breastplates to protect their chests against their enemies’ attacks [MET].

LEB Stand therefore, girding your waist with truth, and putting on the breastplate of righteousness,

BBE Take your place, then, having your body clothed with the true word, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness;

Moff Hold your ground, tighten the belt of truth about your loins, wear integrity as your coat of mail,

Wymth Stand therefore, first fastening round you the girdle of truth and putting on the breastplate of uprightness

ASV Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

DRA Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice,

YLT Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about in truth, and having put on the breastplate of the righteousness,

Drby Stand therefore, having girt about your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

RV Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
(Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breast/chest-plate of righteousness, )

SLT Stand therefore, having girded your loins around with truth, and put on the armor of justice;

Wbstr Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness;

KJB-1769 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
(Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast/chest-plate of righteousness; )

KJB-1611 Stand therefore, hauing your loynes girt about with trueth, and hauing on the breast-plate of righteousnesse:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Stande therfore, hauyng loynes girt about with the trueth, and puttyng on the brest plate of righteousnesse,
(Stand therefore, having loins girt about with the truth, and putting on the breast/chest plate of righteousness,)

Gnva Stand therefore, and your loynes girded about with veritie, and hauing on the brest plate of righteousnesse,
(Stand therefore, and your loins girded about with verity/truth, and having on the breast/chest plate of righteousness, )

Cvdl Stonde therfore, and youre loynes gyrde aboute with the trueth, hauynge on the brest plate of righteousnes,
(Stand therefore, and your(pl) loins gird about with the truth, having on the breast/chest plate of righteousness,)

TNT Stonde therfore and youre loynes gyrd aboute with veritie havinge on the brest plate of rightewesnes
(Stand therefore and your(pl) loins gyrd about with verity/truth having on the breast/chest plate of rightewesnes )

Wycl Therfor stonde ye, and be gird aboute youre leendis in sothefastnesse, and clothid with the haburioun of riytwisnesse,
(Therefore stand ye/you_all, and be gird about your(pl) leendis in sothefastness, and clothed with the haburioun of righteousness,)

Luth So stehet nun, umgürtet an euren Lenden mit Wahrheit und angezogen mit dem Krebs der Gerechtigkeit
(So stands now, belted at/to your(s)(pl) lumbar with truth and dressed with to_him Krebs the/of_the justice)

ClVg State ergo succincti lumbos vestros in veritate, et induti loricam justitiæ,[fn]
(State therefore succincti waist yours in/into/on with_truth, and induti loricam justice, )

6.14 Succincti lumbos vestros, etc. Id est carnales concupiscentias cingulo castitatis frenantes non simulatorie, sed in veritate, vel per charitatem. Induti loricam justitiæ. Recte lorica justitiæ comparatur, quia, sicut lorica multis circulis contexitur, ita justitia multis virtutibus constat. Aliter: Justitia loricæ potest comparari quia, sicut lorica pectus munit, ventrem stringit, femora protegit, ita justitia superfluas cogitationes quæ in pectore versari solent, repellit: ingluviem ventris stringit, luxuriam quoque opprimit.

6.14 Succincti waist yours, etc. That it_is carnal desires sash/belt castitatis frenantes not/no at_the_same_timeatorie, but in/into/on with_truth, or through charity. Induti loricam justice. Recte lorica justice is_compared, because, like lorica many circulis contexitur, so/thus justice many virtues it_is_agreed/certain. Aliter: Justice loricæ can comparari because, like lorica chest munit, belly stringit, femora protects, so/thus justice unnecessarys thoughts which in/into/on pectore versari they_usually, repellit: ingluviem belly stringit, luxury/extravagancem too opprimit.

UGNT στῆτε οὖν, περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης,
(staʸte oun, perizōsamenoi taʸn osfun humōn en alaʸtheia, kai endusamenoi ton thōraka taʸs dikaiosunaʸs,)

SBL-GNT στῆτε οὖν περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης,
(staʸte oun perizōsamenoi taʸn osfun humōn en alaʸtheia, kai endusamenoi ton thōraka taʸs dikaiosunaʸs,)

RP-GNT Στῆτε οὖν περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης,
(Staʸte oun perizōsamenoi taʸn osfun humōn en alaʸtheia, kai endusamenoi ton thōraka taʸs dikaiosunaʸs,)

TC-GNT Στῆτε οὖν περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης,
(Staʸte oun perizōsamenoi taʸn osfun humōn en alaʸtheia, kai endusamenoi ton thōraka taʸs dikaiosunaʸs, )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Overcoming the Devil

The New Testament writers were convinced of the reality of evil and the dangers of the spiritual world. So they took Satan (the evil one, the devil) seriously as a real threat. The devil inhibits the work of God’s people (see 1 Thes 2:18; Rev 2:10), and he “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8).

The entire unbelieving world is subject to the power of sin and the devil (see Eph 2:2; 1 Jn 5:19). As the “god of this world,” the devil can blind the minds of unbelievers (see 2 Cor 4:4; cp. Matt 13:19). While Satan opposes God and seeks to destroy his people (Rev 12:12, 17), Jesus came to destroy Satan’s work (1 Jn 3:8). God turns what the devil intends for evil into good. Following this principle, Paul instructs the church at Corinth to expel someone from Christian fellowship in order that, by being exposed to the devil’s destructive power, that person might repent and be saved (see 1 Cor 5:5).

Christians are to stand firm and resist the devil (Jas 4:7), praying for God’s deliverance (Matt 6:13) and availing themselves of the armor that God provides for their defense (Eph 6:10-20). Those who yield to Satan’s influence suffer the consequences (see Acts 5:1-5). But believers who walk with Christ are secure because they know that the cross has broken the devil’s power (see Rom 8:38-39; 1 Cor 15:24; Col 1:13; 2:10, 15; 1 Pet 3:22) and that the Lord protects them (see 1 Jn 5:18). They also know that the Holy Spirit within them is greater than the devil (see 1 Jn 4:4). By the word of God, they can overcome the evil one (see 1 Jn 2:14; cp. Rev 12:11).

Although believers need to be wary of the devil and protect themselves from his power, they need not live in fear. The power of the devil is no match for the power of God. And in the end, the devil will be ultimately and totally defeated (see Rev 20:7-10).

Passages for Further Study

Matt 6:13; 13:19; Acts 5:3-5; Rom 8:38-39; 1 Cor 5:5; 15:24; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 4:27; 6:10-20; Col 1:13; 2:10, 15; 1 Thes 2:18; Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 3:22; 5:8; 1 Jn 2:14; 3:8; 4:4; 5:18-19; Rev 2:10; 12:7-9, 11-12, 17

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:10–20: Paul told believers how to fight against Satan

In this section, Paul compared the Christian to a soldier fighting in a war. The Christian’s enemies are not human, but supernatural. Christians are fighting against the devil and all the powers of evil, and they must use all the weapons that God gives them. Paul described six pieces of equipment that the Roman soldier of that time used (see the picture below), and he compared each one to something spiritual that will help Christians to overcome Satan. Then Paul also reminded Christians to pray at all times. He told them to pray for their fellow believers and to pray for him so that he would be able to proclaim the gospel without fear.

Here are some other examples for a heading for this section:

Wear the full armour of God (NCV)

Put on all the armour that God supplies (GW)

Christians should prepare and fight against evil spiritual forces

Paragraph 6:14–20

In this paragraph, Paul used six metaphors to describe the way a Christian should prepare himself to fight against Satan. Paul based these metaphors on the armor a Roman soldier wore. The specific pieces of armor are:

belt (6:14b)
breastplate (6:14c)
shoes (6:15)
shield (6:16b–c)
helmet (6:17a)
sword (6:17b)

In many places in the world, people do not know what breastplates, helmets, shields and other armor of the Roman soldiers looked like. So you may want to put a picture of a Roman soldier in your Bible translation at this place when it is printed.

6:14a

Stand firm then,

¶ So prepare yourselves to fight!
¶ So get/be ready for the battle.
¶ Here is how you^(plur) are to prepare yourselves to resist Satan.

Stand firm then: The clause Stand firm then introduces a list of instructions on how to stand firm. These are his concluding appeals on the basis of what he had said before. So you can translate it as:

So then, take your stand! (GW)

So stand ready (GNT)

Therefore prepare yourselves

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate this command as a statement. For example:

Therefore, here is how you are to prepare yourselves to resist Satan.

6:14b

with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,

Tie^(plur) the belt around your^(plur) waist. The belt is God’s truth.
Tie^(plur) truth around your waist like a belt.
God speaks what is true. Live^(plur) according to that. This will serve you^(plur) like a soldier’s belt tied around your^(plur) waist.

with the belt of truth buckled around your waist: A belt was made of pieces of leather. It was probably a wide belt, not just some thin strings of leather. See the belt of a soldier in the picture at Section 6:10–20.

In Paul’s time, a soldier used a belt to tie his loose clothing round his waist. He did this so that he could move faster and more freely in battle. A belt also helped to protect the soldier’s waist.

The phrase belt of truth is also a metaphor. Paul compared truth to a belt.

One way to fully explain this metaphor is like this: The truth that God gives you is like a Roman soldier’s belt. The belt holds up his long clothes so that he is able to run and fight. God’s truth supports you in your fight with Satan.

belt of truth buckled: The Greek text is literally “having tied your waist with truth.” Notice that the word belt does not occur in Greek.

Some languages may be like Greek and have a verb like “tie” to indicate this action. Other languages will have to translate this as the BSB and supply the word belt. Another simple way to say this is:

the rope to tie your waist

truth: Paul did not specifically say what aspect of truth he was talking about. Scholars interpret this in two ways:

“God’s truth” or “the truth about God”
“tell the truth” or “be truthful”

If you can translate without specifying the type of truth, it is better to do so. If you must make a choice, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

In some languages, the word “true” may be more natural than the word truth. If this is the case in your language, you could say something like:

do what you know to be true

Here are some ways to translate 6:14b:

Keep the metaphor. Some ways to express the metaphor are:
Take truth and tie your waist with it.
Tie the belt round your waist. The belt is God’s truth.
Make the metaphor a simile. For example:
Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. (GW)
Live according to what is true. This will be like tying a soldier’s belt round your waist.
Give the full meaning of the metaphor. For example:
As a soldier ties a belt round his waist to prepare himself to fight, follow God’s truth to prepare yourself to fight against the devil.

6:14c

with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,

Put^(plur) on the breastplate. The breastplate is righteousness.
Believe that Christ made you righteous. This will be like a soldier putting on body armour over his chest to protect himself.

with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed: A breastplate was a piece of armor that a Roman soldier wore on his chest, and sometimes it also extended to cover his back. It protected him from the enemy’s swords, arrows and spears. It was made of tough leather or metal. See the breastplate of a soldier in the picture at Section 6:10–20.

This is a metaphor. Paul compared righteousness to a breastplate. One way to fully explain this metaphor is like this: “Just as a breastplate protects a soldier in a battle, so your confidence in the truth of Christ making you righteous will protect you when Satan attacks you.”

righteousness: Paul did not specifically say what aspect of righteousness he was talking about. Scholars interpret this in two ways:

God’s righteousness or God considers a believer as righteous because of Christ. For example:
let God’s justice protect you like armor (CEV, NLT, GW)
The believer does what is right or the believer has behavior that is righteous/upright. For example:
the protection of right living on your chest (NCV, REB)

If you can translate without specifying the type of righteousness, it is better to do so. Many English versions do this (BSB, NIV, RSV, GNT and others). If you must make a choice, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). See righteous in the Glossary.

Here are some ways to translate 6:14c:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
Put on Christ’s right behavior as your breastplate.
Put on the breastplate. The breastplate is Christ’s right behavior.
Make the metaphor a simile. For example:
Christ behaved righteously for you. Realizing this will be like putting on a breastplate.
Give the full meaning of the metaphor. For example:
As a soldier puts on a breastplate to protect himself in battle, depend on Christ’s righteousness to protect you when the devil attacks.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

στῆτε οὖν

stand (Some words not found in SR-GNT: στῆτε Οὖν Περιζωσάμενοι τήν ὀσφύν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καί Ἐνδυσάμενοι τόν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης)

The word Stand represents taking a position on what is right and true and successfully resisting forces that try to make the believer compromise that position. See how you translated “stand firm” in [Ephesians 6:13](../06/13.md). Alternate translation: [So resist evil]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

οὖν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: στῆτε Οὖν Περιζωσάμενοι τήν ὀσφύν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καί Ἐνδυσάμενοι τόν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης)

The connecting word therefore introduces the result of a reason-result relationship. The reason is that we believers have put on our spiritual armor. The result is that we will stand and resist the evil spiritual forces. Use a phrase in your language that connects a reason to a result.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ

In this metaphor, truth is compared to a soldier’s belt. Truth holds everything together for a believer just as a belt holds the clothing of a soldier together. Alternate translation: [having wrapped yourself in all that is true]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἀληθείᾳ

truth

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind the word truth, you could express the same idea with a verbal form. Alternate translation: [what is true]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης

In this metaphor, righteousness is compared to a soldier’s breastplate. Just as soldiers put on a breastplate to protect themselves from enemy attacks, believers should behave in a righteous way to protect themselves from spiritual attacks.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

δικαιοσύνης

˱of˲_righteousness

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind the word righteousness, you could express the same idea with a verbal form. Alternate translation: [the right way to live]

Parallel EPH 6:14

Section 6:10–20: Paul told believers how to fight against Satan

Paragraph 6:14–20

6:14a

6:14b

6:14c