Ephesians 4

1 I, therefore, as the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthily of the calling by which you were called.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called;

2 I urge you to live with great humility and gentleness and patience, putting up with one another in love.

with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love,

3 Do your best to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

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

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one certain hope of your calling.

There is one body and one Spirit, even as you have been called in one hope of your calling;

5 And there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one Lord, one faith, one immersion;

6 and 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 you all.

7 To each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

But grace has been given to each one of us, according to the measure of the gift of the Christ.

8 It is as scripture says: “When he ascended to the heights, he led the captives into captivity, and he gave gifts to the people.”

For which reason, the scripture says: When he ascended on high, he led captive a multitude of captives, and gave gifts to men.

9 What is the meaning of “He ascended,” except that he also descended into the lower regions of the earth?

But this―He ascended―what does it mean, but that he also descended into the lower earthly regions?

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

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

11 Christ gave some to be apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.

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

12 He gave these offices to equip the saints for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ.

for the complete instruction of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of the Christ,

13 He continues to build up his body until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, and that we become mature and so reach the measure of the fullness of Christ.

till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of stature that fully develops the Christ;

14 Christ builds us up so that we should no longer be children who are tossed back and forth by the waves, and carried away by every wind of teaching and by the trickery of people in their deceitful schemes.

that we might no longer be children, tossed and carried about by every wind of teaching, through the artifice of men, through craftiness used by them for the deliberate planning of deceit;

15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, that is, Christ.

but speaking truthfully in love, we might grow up in all things, into him who is the head, even the Christ,

16 Christ builds the whole body, and it is joined and held together by every supporting ligament, and when each part works together, that makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

from whom the whole body, compactly fitted together, and united by every helping joint, according to the energy in the measure of each part, makes increase of the body, for the building up of itself in love.

17 Therefore, I say and insist on this in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds.

This I say, therefore, and appeal to you solemnly in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the other Gentiles walk, in the error of their minds,

18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts.

darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

19 They have no shame and have handed themselves over to sensuality, and they are continually practicing every kind of impurity.

who, being past feeling, have given themselves up to licentiousness, that they may work all manner of uncleanness with greediness.

20 But that is not how you learned about Christ.

But you have not so learned the Christ,

21 I assume that you have heard about him, and that you were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus.

if, indeed, you have heard of him, and been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 You were taught to put off what belongs to your former manner of life, to put off the old man. It is the old man that is corrupt because of its deceitful desires.

that, as to your former life, you put off the old man, which is corrupt, according to its deceitful desires,

23 You were taught to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

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

24 and to put on the new man that is created in the image of God—in true righteousness and holiness.

and put on the new man, which, according to the will of God, is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Therefore, get rid of lies, and let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

For which reason, putting away lying, speak, every one, truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

26 Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger.

Be angry, and yet do not sin: let not the sun go down on your wrath,

27 Do not give an opportunity to the devil.

nor give place to the devil.

28 The one who had been stealing must steal no longer. He must labor, doing useful work with his hands, so that he may have something to share with those who are in need.

Let him that steals, steal no more: but rather let labor, working with his hands that which is good, that he may have something to give to him that has need.

29 Do not let any filthy talk come out of your mouth. Use only words that are helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that your words would be helpful to those who hear you.

Let no impure speech come out of your mouth, but whatever is good for needful edification, that it may give grace to the hearers:

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, for it is by him that you were sealed for the day of redemption.

and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, with which you have been sealed for the day of redemption.

31 Put away all bitterness, rage, anger, quarreling, and insults, along with every kind of evil.

Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and clamor and impious speaking be put away from you, with all malice:

32 Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

and be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.