Ephesians 5
1 Therefore imitate God, as his dear children,
Learn then to imitate God as his beloved children,
2 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.’
and to lead lives of love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for you, an offering and sacrifice unto God, for you, an offering and sacrifice unto God, for "an odor of sweetness."
3 As for unchastity and every kind of impurity, or greed, do not let them even be mentioned among you, as befits Christ’s People,
As for sexual vice and every kind of impurity or lust, it is unbecoming for you as Christians even to mention them;
4 nor shameful conduct, nor foolish talk or jesting, for they are wholly out of place among you; but rather thanksgiving.
so too with vulgarity and buffoonery and foolish jesting. Such words become you not, but rather thanksgiving.
5 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.
For be well assured that no one guilty of fornication or impurity or covetousness which is idolatry, has any heritage in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Do not let any one deceive you with specious arguments. Those are the sins that bring down the Wrath of God upon the disobedient.
Let no man deceive you with empty arguments, for it is these vices that bring down the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience;
7 Therefore have nothing to do with such people.
therefore do not become sharers with them.
8 For, although you were once in Darkness, now, by your union with the Lord, you are in the Light. Live as ‘Children of Light’ —
For you were once darkness, but are now in the Lord.
9 For the outcome of life in the Light may be seen in every form of goodness, righteousness, and sincerity —
Lead the life of children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in every kind of goodness and uprightness and truth.
10 Always trying to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.
Examine carefully what is well pleasing to the Lord,
11 Take no part in deeds of Darkness, from which no good can come; on the contrary, expose them.
and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness, but rather expose them.
12 It is degrading even to speak of the things continually done by them in secret.
For it is a shame even to speak of the things that are done by such men in secret;
13 All such actions, when exposed, have their true character made manifest by the Light.
but all these things, when exposed, are by the light made manifest, and what is made manifest is light.
14 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!’
For this reason it is said, "Awake, thou sleeper! Arise from the dead; And Christ shall shine upon thee!"
15 Take great care, then, how you live — not unwisely but wisely,
See to it, then, that you carry on your life carefully; not as foolish, but as wise men.
16 making the most of every opportunity; for these are evil days.
Buy up opportunity, for the times are evil.
17 Therefore do not grow thoughtless, but try to understand what the Lord’s will is.
For this reason do not be thoughtless, but learn to know what the Lord’s will is.
18 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.
Do not be drunk with wine, in which is riotous living, but drink deep in the Spirit,
19 Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord.
when you talk together; with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and with all your hearts making music unto the Lord;
20 Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
and at all times for all things give thanks to God, the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 and submit to one another from reverence for him.
Submit yourselves one to another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives should submit to their husbands as submitting to the Lord.
Wives likewise to their husbands as to the Lord,
23 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.
because a husband is the head of his wife even as Christ is head of the church, his body, which he saves.
24 But as the Church submits to the Christ, so also should wives submit to their husbands in everything.
But as the church submits itself to Christ, so also wives to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as the Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for her,
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her,
26 to make her holy, after purifying her by the Washing with the Water, according to his promise;
in order that after cleansing her in the bath of baptism, he might sanctify her by his word,
27 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.
so as to present her to himself, the church glorified, without spot or wrinkle or any such blemish; but on the contrary holy and faultless.
28 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;
That is how husbands ought to love their wives, as they love their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 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;
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it as Christ does the church;
30 for we are members of his Body.
for we are members of his body.
31 ‘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.’
For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 In this there is a profound truth — I am speaking of Christ and his Church.
There is a deep mystery here - I am speaking of Christ and his church.
33 However, for you individually, let each love his wife as if she were himself; and the wife be careful to respect her husband.
But as for you individually, you must each one of you love his own wife exactly as if she were yourself; and the wife, on her part, should reverence her husband.
