Ephesians 4
1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
I, then, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling, by which you are called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
with all humility and meekness; with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love;
3 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
earnestly endeavoring to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
There is one body, and one Spirit; as also you have been called with one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one Lord, one faith, one immersion;
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
one God and Father of all, who is over all, and with all, and in you all.
7 Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
But to every one of us is given favor, according to the measure of the gift of Christ;
8 This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
(Wherefore he says, Having ascended on high, he captivated captivity, and gave gifts to men.
9 What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?
Now, this--Having ascended, what is it, unless, indeed, he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth!
10 He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
He who descended, is the same who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
And he gave some, indeed, Apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
for the adapting of these saints to the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ:
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God; to a perfect man; to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
that we may be no longer children, tossed and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sight of men, and by cunning craftiness for an artifice of seduction:
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
but speaking the truth in love, we may all grow into him, who is the Head, even Christ;
16 From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
from whom, the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by the service of every joint, according to the energy, in the proportion of each particular part, effects the increase of the body, for the edification of itself in love.
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
This, therefore, I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind;
18 They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.
having their understandings darkened; being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
who, being past feeling, have abandoned themselves to lasciviousness, to commit all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But this is not the way you came to know Christ.
But you have not so learned Christ;
21 Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus—
if, indeed, you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus;
22 to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
that, with respect to your former conduct, you put away the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
that you be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
and that you put on the new man; which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
Wherefore, putting away lying, speak the truth every one to his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
Do not sin, through anger; let not the sun go down upon your wrath,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
neither give an opportunity to the devil.
28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.
Let him that stole, steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands that which is good, that he may have to impart to him who has need.
29 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
Let no corrupt discourse come out of your mouth; but if any speech be good for the use of edification, speak it, that it may impart a benefit to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed till the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
Let all bitterness, and anger, and wrath, and clamor, and detraction, be taken away from among you, with all malice.
32 Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
But be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you.
