Ephesians 4

1 I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called,

I beg you, then – I who am a prisoner in the Master’s cause – to live lives worthy of the call that you have received;

2 With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity.

always humble and gentle, patient, bearing lovingly with one another,

3 Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

and striving to maintain in the bond of peace the unity given by the Spirit.

4 One body and one Spirit; as you are called in one hope of your calling.

There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there was but one hope set before you when you received your call.

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all.

There is but one God and Father of all – the God who is over all, pervades all, and is in all.

7 But to every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the giving of Christ.

Everyone of us, however, has been entrusted with some charge, each in accordance with the extent of the gift of the Christ.

8 Wherefore he saith: Ascending on high, he led captivity captive; he gave gifts to men.

That is why it is said – ‘When he went up on high, he led his captives into captivity. And gave gifts to humanity.’

9 Now that he ascended, what is it, but because he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

Now surely this ‘going up’ must imply that he had already gone down into the world beneath.

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

He who went down is the same as he who went up – up beyond the highest heaven, so that he might fill all things with his presence.

11 And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors,

And he it is who gave to the church apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers,

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

to fit his people for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of the Christ.

13 Until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ;

And this will continue, until we all attain to that unity which is given by faith and by a fuller knowledge of the Son of God; until we reach maturity – the full standard of the perfection of the Christ.

14 That henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive.

Then we will no longer be like infants, tossed backward and forward, blown about by every breath of human teaching and by people’s trickery and craftiness;

15 But doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him who is the head, even Christ:

but holding the truth in a spirit of love, we will grow into complete union with him who is our head – Christ himself.

16 From whom the whole body, being compacted and fitly joined together, by what every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in charity.

For from him the whole body, closely joined and knit together by the contact of every part with the source of its life, derives its power to grow, in proportion to the vigour of each individual part; and so is being built up in a spirit of love.

17 This then I say and testify in the Lord: That henceforward you walk not as also the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind,

This, then, as one in union with the Lord, I implore: Do not continue to live such purposeless lives as the Gentiles live,

18 Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.

with their powers of discernment darkened, cut off from the life of God, owing to the ignorance that prevails among them and to the hardness of their hearts.

19 Who despairing, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness.

Lost to all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, in order to practice every kind of impurity without restraint.

20 But you have not so learned Christ;

But far different is the lesson you learned from the Christ – if, that is, you really listened to him,

21 If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus:

and through union with him were taught the truth, as it is to be found in Jesus.

22 To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error.

For you learned with regard to your former way of living that you must cast off your old nature, which, yielding to deluding passions, grows corrupt;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind:

that the spirit of your minds must be constantly renewed;

24 And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.

and that you must clothe yourselves in that new nature which was created to resemble God, with the righteousness and holiness springing from the truth.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak; ye the truth every man with his neighbour; for we are members one of another.

Since, therefore, you have cast off what is false, you must every one of you speak the truth to your neighbors. For we are united to one another like the parts of a body.

26 Be angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger.

Be angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger;

27 Give not place to the devil.

and give no opportunity to the devil.

28 He that stole, let him now steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have something to give to him that suffereth need.

Let the person who steals steal no longer, but rather they should toil with their hands at honest work, so that they may have something to share with anyone in need.

29 Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth; but that which is good, to the edification of faith, that it may administer grace to the hearers.

Never let any foul word pass your lips, but only such good words as the occasion demands, so that they may be a help to those who hear them.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God: whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.

And do not grieve God’s Holy Spirit; for it was through that Spirit that God sealed you as his, against the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and anger, and indignation, and clamour, and blasphemy, be put away from you, with all malice.

Let all bitterness, passion, anger, brawling, and abusive language be banished from among you, as well as all malice.

32 And be ye kind one to another; merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ready to forgive one another, just as God, in Christ, forgave you.