Ephesians 5
1 Become, then, followers of God, as beloved children,
Therefore imitate God, as his dear children,
2 and walk in love, as the Christ also loved us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a refreshing fragrance,
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 and whoredom, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, do not let it even be named among you, as is proper to holy ones;
As for unchastity and every kind of impurity, or greed, do not let them even be mentioned among you, as befits Christ’s People,
4 also filthiness, and foolish talking, or jesting—the things not fit—but rather thanksgiving;
nor shameful conduct, nor foolish talk or jesting, for they are wholly out of place among you; but rather thanksgiving.
5 for you know this, that every whoremonger, or unclean, or covetous person, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and 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 vain words, for because of these things comes the anger of God on the sons of the disobedience;
Do not let any one deceive you with specious arguments. Those are the sins that bring down the Wrath of God upon the disobedient.
7 do not become, then, partakers with them,
Therefore have nothing to do with such people.
8 for you were once darkness, and now light in the LORD; walk as children of 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 well-pleasing to the LORD;
Always trying to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness and rather even convict,
Take no part in deeds of Darkness, from which no good can come; on the contrary, expose them.
12 for it is a shame even to speak of the things done by them in secret,
It is degrading even to speak of the things continually done by them in secret.
13 and all the things reproved by the light are revealed, for everything that is revealed is light;
All such actions, when exposed, have their true character made manifest by the Light.
14 for this reason it says, “Arouse yourself, you who are sleeping, and arise out of the dead, and the Christ will shine on you.”
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 shall give thee light!’
15 See, then, how exactly you walk, not as unwise, but as wise,
Take great care, then, how you live — not unwisely but wisely,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil;
making the most of every opportunity; for these are evil days.
17 do not become fools because of this, but—understanding what [is] the will of the LORD,
Therefore do not grow thoughtless, but try to understand what the Lord’s will is.
18 and do not be drunk with wine, in which is wastefulness, but be filled in 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 to yourselves 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 the God and Father,
Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.
and submit to one another from reverence for him.
22 The wives: [subject yourselves] to your own husbands, as to the LORD,
Wives should submit to their husbands as submitting to the Lord.
23 because the husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ [is] head of the Assembly, and He is Savior 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 Saviour of his Body.
24 but even as the Assembly is subject to Christ, so also [are] the wives [subject] to their own husbands in everything.
But as the Church submits to the Christ, so also should wives submit to their husbands in everything.
25 The husbands: love your own wives, as the Christ also loved the Assembly, and gave Himself for it,
Husbands, love your wives, just as the Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify it, having cleansed [it] with the bathing of the water in the saying,
to make her holy, after purifying her by the Washing with the Water, according to his promise;
27 that He might present the Assembly to Himself in glory, having no spot or wrinkle, or any of such things, but that it may be holy and unblemished;
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 ought the husbands to love their own wives as their own bodies: he who is loving his own wife—he loves 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 hated his own flesh, but nourishes and nurtures it, as also the LORD—the Assembly,
for no one ever yet hated his own body. But every one feeds his body and cares for it, just as the Christ for the Church;
30 because we are members of His body, [[of His flesh, and of His bones.]]
for we are members of his Body.
31 “For this cause will a man leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife, and the two will be into one flesh”;
‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife; and the man and his wife shall become one.’
32 this secret is great, and I speak in regard to Christ and to the Assembly;
In this there is a profound truth — I am speaking of Christ and his Church.
33 but you also, everyone in particular—let each so love his own wife as himself, and the wife—that she may revere 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.
