Efeserne 5
1 Altså skal dere handle på samme måten som Gud og tilgi hverandre, etter som dere er hans elskede barn.
(Imitate/Behave like) God, because he loves you who are [as though you were] [SIM] his children.
2 Elsk hverandre og la Kristus være ideal for dere. Han elsket oss så høyt at han ga sitt eget liv for å sette oss fri fra synden. Denne gaven var et offer som gledet Gud.
Do everything in a way that shows that you love [people], just like Christ loved us and willingly died for us. He offered himself [to God as a sacrifice] that was very pleasing to God, [just like Jewish priests offered] sweet-smelling [animal] sacrifices to God [MET].
3 Blant dere må det aldri forekomme seksuell løssluppenhet og annen umoral eller griskhet. Tenk på at dere tilhører Gud!
Do not commit any kind of immoral act [DOU], and do not desire more things than you need. Do not [act in such a way that others could] even (spread rumors/talk) about your acting in such ways, because it is not appropriate/fitting for God’s people to do such things.
4 Pornografiske historier, dumt prat og ondskapsfull spøk passer ikke blant dere. Takk i stedet Gud når dere er sammen.
Do not use obscene/shameful language when you talk to people. Do not talk foolishly. Do not use vulgar/indecent language, because it is not appropriate/fitting that God’s people should talk like that. Instead, tell people how much you thank [God for all he does for you].
5 En ting må dere ha klart for dere: Ingen som lar seg bruke til seksuell løssluppenhet og annen umoral eller griskhet, får del i Kristus og plass blant Guds eget folk. Den slags er å tilbe avguder.
You can be sure of this: No person who is sexually immoral or who acts indecently/shamefully will be among those people whom God rules over [MET] [in heaven]. Neither will those who desire more things than they need. Such people worship their possessions [instead of worshipping God].
6 La dere ikke bli lurt av de som sier at disse handlingene ikke er synd, for Gud kommer til å dømme alle som ikke lyder ham.
Do not let anyone deceive you by suggesting that [God will really] not [punish people who commit such sins], because God certainly will punish [MTY] those who habitually disobey him [by doing such things].
7 Delta aldri i det som disse personene hengir seg til.
So, do not commit the same kinds of deeds that such people do,
8 Før levde dere i åndelig mørke, men nå lever dere i lyset, i fellesskap med Herren Jesus. La derfor livet deres vise at dere tilhører lyset.
because formerly you [did not know God’s truth] [MET], [as those who] are in darkness [do not know what is around them]. But now [it is as though] you are in the light [MET] [because you know God’s truth] because of your relationship with the Lord [Jesus]. So do those things that those who know God’s truth [MET] should do.
9 Dersom lyset får forvandle dere, da kommer dere til å gjøre det som er godt. Dere vil holde dere til sannheten i tråd med Guds vilje.
Keep in mind that [as] light [MET] causes [good things to grow], those who know God’s truth should do those things that are good, righteous, and honest.
10 Spør alltid om hva Gud vil at dere skal gjøre.
And as [you do that], try (to find out/to discover) what pleases the Lord.
11 De som lever i åndelig mørke, gjør det som er ondt. Ha derfor ikke noe med deres onde og meningsløse gjerninger å gjøre, men avslør heller ondskapen.
Do not do the worthless deeds that the people (who are in [spiritual] darkness/who do not know God’s truth) [MET] do. Instead, let others know that those people’s deeds are worthless.
12 Det som disse personene har for seg i det skjulte, er så skammelig at vi ikke en gang vil snakke høyt om det.
It is shameful for God’s people to even talk [among themselves about] those evil deeds that evil people do secretly and habitually.
13 Når lyset faller på synden, vil den bli avslørt.
But when [God’s people rebuke those evil people about their deeds, it will be clear/evident how evil their deeds really are, just like] everything exposed to the light becomes visible {as light [MET] reveals everything [that we cannot see in the darkness]}.
14 Lyset avdekker alt. Derfor bruker vi å appellere, og si:”Våkn opp du som sover, stå opp fra de døde, så skal Kristus inspirere deg til å leve i lyset.”
[Just like something on which a light shines reflects that light] [MET], [whoever has learned God’s truth reveals that truth to others]. That is why [we believers] say this: You who are not aware of your sins, become aware of them [MET]! It is as though you are sound asleep, so wake up! Be like dead people who are becoming alive again! Christ will cause you to know God’s truth, just like a light [MET] that shines causes people to know what is in the darkness.
15 Vær nøye med hvordan dere lever. Lev ikke som dumme fjols, men som kloke og ansvarlige.
So be very careful how you behave. Do not behave as foolish people do. Instead, behave as wise people do.
16 Ta være på mulighetene dere får til å gjøre godt. Tiden vi lever i er ond.
Use your time carefully, because these days [MTY] [people do] extremely evil [deeds].
17 Gjør ikke noe tankeløst, men forsøk å forstå hva Herren Jesus vil.
So do not be foolish. Instead, understand what the Lord [Jesus] wants you to do, [and do it]!
18 Drikk dere ikke fulle på alkohol, for det leder til et vilt og umoralsk liv. La dere i stedet bli fylt av Guds Ånd.
Do not become drunk by drinking alcoholic drinks, since people are unable to control their behavior when they are drunk. Instead, let [God’s] Spirit control your [behavior] at all times [MTY].
19 Oppmuntre hverandre gjennom å synge lovsanger til Herren Jesus. Ja, syng både nye og gamle sanger til hans ære. Syng og spill av hele hjertet!
Sing to each other (Psalms/songs [with words from the] Scriptures), sing [other] songs [that the congregation knows], and songs [that God’s] Spirit [gives you]. Sing these Psalms and other songs sincerely to [praise] the Lord [Jesus].
20 Takk alltid Gud, vår Far, for alt som Herren Jesus Kristus har gjort for oss.
At all times thank God, who is our [heavenly] Father, for everything, especially for what the Lord Jesus Christ [MTY] [has done for you].
21 Begge parter i et ekteskap må sette den andre over seg selv. På denne måten ærer dere Jesus Kristus.
[Humbly] submit yourselves to each other because you reverence Christ, [who is our example].
22 Dere kvinner som er gift, må sette mannen deres over dere selv på samme måten som dere setter Herren Jesus først i livet.
Because husbands have authority over [MET] their wives, just as all of us believers form one group [under the authority of] Christ, you women should submit yourselves to [the authority of your] husbands just as you submit yourselves to the Lord [Jesus]. He is the one who saves all his people [from the guilt of their sins].
23 Mannen skal være en leder for sin kone, på samme måten som Kristus er leder og hode for kroppen sin, som er menigheten. Husk på at Kristus ble leder gjennom det å frelse alle som tilhører hans kropp.
24 På samme måten som menigheten setter Kristus først, må en gift kvinne sette mannen sin over seg selv.
Just like all believers submit themselves to [the authority of] Christ, the women must submit themselves completely to the [authority of] their husbands.
25 Dere menn som er gift, må på den andre siden vise kona like mye kjærlighet og omsorg som Kristus viste menigheten. Kristus ga til og med sitt liv for menigheten.
Each of you husbands, love your wife as Christ loved all of [us who would become] believers, with the result that he willingly died for our sake,
26 Det gjorde han for at den ved budskapet om ham kunne bli vasket ren og tilhøre Gud.
in order that he might (set us apart for himself/cause us to belong to him). That is, by [revealing his] message [to us], he wanted to [remove the guilt of our sin, just like people remove dirt from something] by washing it [MET].
27 Han ville la menigheten stå fram for Gud full av herlighet, og uten den minste flekk eller rynke, helt uten synd og feil.
[Christ did that] in order that he might cause all of us believers to be a glorious group of people that belong to him, people that do not have any moral flaws/imperfections, but instead might be completely pure [DOU] when he gathers us (to his presence/to himself).
28 På samme måten må en mann elske sin kone som om hun skulle være hans egen kropp. Den som elsker sin kone, elsker med andre ord seg selv.
In the same way, each man should love his wife as he loves his own body. Men who love their wives, [it is as though] they love themselves.
29 Ingen hater sin egen kropp, men tar hånd om den og gir den det den trenger. På samme måten tar Kristus hånd om kroppen sin, som er menigheten. På den kroppen er vi alle forskjellige lemmer.
This is shown by the fact that no one ever hated his own body. Instead, he feeds his own body and cares for it, just like Christ also cares for all us believers. We have become one group of believers that belongs to him [MET].
31 Det står i Skriften:”Derfor skal en mann forlate foreldrene sine og holde seg til kona si, slik at de to blir ett.”
[What someone has written in the Scriptures about people who marry is this], [When] a man and [a] woman [marry], they should ([permanently] leave/no longer live with) their fathers and mothers. They should be joined [as husband and] wife, and the two of them shall become [as though they were] one [MET] person.
32 Det ligger en stor hemmelighet i dette sitatet fra Skriften. Helt i tråd med min mening er dette et bilde på forholdet mellom Kristus og menigheten.
It is very difficult to understand the meaning of these things that God has now revealed to me, but [I am telling you that] those words [also] refer to [the relationship between] Christ and all those who belong to him.
33 Men det handler også om dere som er gift. Derfor skal mannen elske sin kone som seg selv, og kona skal vise respekt for mannen sin.
However, as for you(pl), each man must love his wife just as he loves himself, and each woman must respect her husband.
