Ephesians 4

1 I exhort you, therefore, I the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which ye were called,

So then, as the prisoner in the Lord I urge you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

2 with all humility and meekness, with long-suffering; bearing with one another in love,

with all humility and courtesy, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

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

taking pains to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye were called in one hope of your calling;

There is one body and one Spirit (just as you also were called in one hope of your calling),

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

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 through all and in us all.

7 But to each one of us was given the grace [[which he hath]] according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Now to each one of us the grace according to the measure of Christ's gift was given.

8 Wherefore he saith: “When he ascended on high, he led captive a train of captives, and gave gifts to men.”

That is why He says, “When He ascended into the heights He captured the concentration camp, and distributed gifts to men.”

9 Now what is implied in his ascending, but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

(What does ‘He ascended’ imply if not that He also first descended into the interior regions of the earth?

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

He who descended is the very one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Yes, He Himself gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

12 for the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministration, for the building up of the body of Christ;

for the equipping of the saints into the work of the ministry, so as to build up the body of Christ,

13 till we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

until we all attain into the unity of the faith and of the real knowledge of the Son of God, into a complete man, into the resulting full stature of Christ;

14 that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and borne about by every wind of teaching, through the dishonest tricks of men, and their cunning in the wily arts of error;

so that we no longer be ‘infants’, tossed about as by waves and carried off by every doctrinal fad, through the underhanded dealings of the people who collect the fee for the error;

15 but cleaving to truth in love, may grow up in all things unto him who is the head, even Christ;

rather, speaking the truth in love, let us in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, the Christ;

16 from whom the whole body, well put together and compacted by means of every supplying joint, is, according to the working of each part in its proportion, building itself up in love.

from whom the whole body, being fitted and knit together by what every joint supplies, as each individual part does its work, promotes its own growth, its own edification, in love.

17 This therefore I say, and charge you in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind,

So then, I affirm and insist on this in the Lord: you must no longer carry on as the rest of the Gentiles do, in the futility of their mind,

18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God on account of the ignorance that is in them, on account of the hardness of their hearts;

having been darkened in their understanding, being alienated [as a continuing condition] from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts,

19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves up to wantonness, to work all uncleanness in greediness.

who, having become dead to hope, have abandoned themselves to depravity, greedily indulging in every kind of vileness.

20 But not so did ye learn Christ,

Now that is not how you ‘learned Christ’—

21 if indeed ye heard him, and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus;

if indeed you have heard Him and been taught by Him (as the truth is in Jesus):

22 that as to your former way of life ye should put off the old man, who perisheth according to the lusts of deceit,

that you put away, concerning your former way of life, the old man (that keeps on being corrupted by the deceitful desires),

23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 and that ye put on the new man, who was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

and put on the new man, created in the likeness of God, in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Wherefore having put away falsehood, speak truth every one with his neighbor; for we are members one of another.

Therefore, having put away falsehood, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.

26 “Be angry, and sin not;” let not the sun go down upon your wrath;

‘Be angry but do not sin’; do not let the sun set on your angry mood,

27 and do not give place to the Devil.

nor give an opportunity to the devil.

28 Let him that stealeth steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands at that which is good, that he may have to give to him that is in need.

The one who steals must steal no longer, but rather let him work, doing something good with his hands, that he may have something to share with someone in need.

29 Let no foul language proceed out of your mouth, but whatever is good for edification, as the need may be, that it may benefit the hearers;

Let no evil word proceed from your mouth, but only what is good for edification, as needed, that it may impart grace to those who hear.

30 and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye were sealed unto the day of redemption.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice;

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and slander be removed from you, with all malice.

32 and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Rather, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God forgave you.