Ephesians 5
1 Therefore be ye imitators of God, as beloved children;
Therefore imitate God, as his dear children,
2 and walk about in divine love, as Christ also loved you, and gave himself for you, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweet savor.
and live a life of love, following the example of the Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you as an offering and a sacrifice to God, that should be fragrant and acceptable.
3 But all fornication, and uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be named among you, as it becomes saints;
As for sexual immorality and every kind of impurity, or greed, do not let them even be mentioned among you, as befits Christ’s people,
4 and indecorum, or foolish talking, or indecent jesting, which is not becoming, but rather the giving of thanks:
nor shameful conduct, nor foolish talk or jesting, for they are wholly out of place among you; but rather thanksgiving.
5 for you are knowing this, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
For of this you may be sure – that no one who is unchaste or impure or greedy of gain (for to be greedy of gain is idolatry) has any place awaiting him in the kingdom of the Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words: for through these the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience.
Do not let anyone deceive you with specious arguments. Those are the sins that bring down the wrath of God on the disobedient.
7 Therefore be not partakers along with them.
Therefore have nothing to do with such people.
8 For at one time ye were darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk about as children of the light,
For, although you were once in darkness, now, by your union with the Lord, you are in the light. Live as children of light –
9 (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
for the outcome of life in the light may be seen in every form of goodness, righteousness, and sincerity –
10 proving what is acceptable to the Lord;
always trying to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather indeed convict them.
Take no part in deeds of darkness, from which no good can come; on the contrary, expose them.
12 For it is disgraceful even to speak of those things which are done by them in concealment:
It is degrading even to speak of the things continually done by them in secret.
13 but all things being convicted by the light are made manifest; for everything made manifest is light.
All such actions, when exposed, have their true character made manifest by the light.
14 Therefore he says, Awake, thou sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon thee.
For everything that has its true character made manifest is clear as light. And that is why it is said – ‘Sleeper, awake! Arise from the dead, and the Christ will give you light!’
15 Therefore see how you walk about circumspectly, not as unwise, but wise;
Take great care, then, how you live – not unwisely but wisely,
16 buying in the opportunity, because the days are evil.
making the most of every opportunity; for these are evil days.
17 Therefore be not unwise, but understand whatsoever is the will of the Lord.
Therefore do not grow thoughtless, but try to understand what the Lord’s will is.
18 Be not drunk with wine, in which there is riot, but be ye filled with the Spirit;
Do not drink wine to excess, for that leads to profligacy; but seek to be filled with the Spirit of God, and speak to one another in psalms and hymns and sacred songs.
19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord.
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 being submissive to one another in the fear of Christ.
Submit to one another because you honor and respect Christ.
22 Wives, be submissive to your own husbands, as to the Lord,
Wives should submit to their husbands as submitting to the Lord.
23 because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is also the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.
For a man is the head of his wife, as the Christ is the head of the church – being indeed himself the Savior of his body.
24 But as the church is submissive to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in everything.
But as the church submits to the Christ, so also should wives submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives with divine love, as Christ also loved the church with divine love, and gave himself for her;
Husbands, love your wives, just as the Christ loved the church, and gave himself for her,
26 in order that he might sanctify her, having purified her by the washing of water through the word,
to make her holy, after purifying her by the washing with the water, according to his promise;
27 in order that he might present to himself the glorious church, having not spot or wrinkle or any of such things; but that she might be holy and blameless.
so that he might himself bring the church, in all her beauty, into his own presence, with no spot or wrinkle or blemish of any kind, but that she might be holy and faultless.
28 So the husbands ought to love their own wives with divine love as their own bodies. The one loving his own wife is loving himself:
That is how husbands ought to love their wives – as if they were their own bodies. A man who loves his wife is really loving himself;
29 for no one ever yet hated his own flesh; but he nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ also the church;
for no one ever yet hated his own body. But everyone feeds his body and cares for it, just as the Christ for the church;
30 because we are members of his body:
for we are members of his body.
31 on account of this a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife: and they two shall be one flesh.
For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife; and the man and his wife will become one.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.
In this there is a profound truth – I am speaking of Christ and his church.
33 Moreover you also each one thus love his own wife with divine love as himself; and that the wife also reverence the husband.
However, for you individually, let each love his wife as if she were himself; and the wife be careful to respect her husband.
