Ephesians 5

1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,

Learn then to imitate God as his beloved children,

2 and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

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 But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

As for sexual vice and every kind of impurity or lust, it is unbecoming for you as Christians even to mention them;

4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, 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 can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of 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 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

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 do not be partakers with them.

therefore do not become sharers with them.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

For you were once darkness, but are now in the Lord.

9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Lead the life of children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in every kind of goodness and uprightness and truth.

10 Test and prove what pleases the Lord.

Examine carefully what is well pleasing to the Lord,

11 Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness, but rather expose them.

12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

For it is a shame even to speak of the things that are done by such men in secret;

13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself.

but all these things, when exposed, are by the light made manifest, and what is made manifest is light.

14 So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

For this reason it is said, "Awake, thou sleeper! Arise from the dead; And Christ shall shine upon thee!"

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

See to it, then, that you carry on your life carefully; not as foolish, but as wise men.

16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Buy up opportunity, for the times are evil.

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but 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 get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Do not be drunk with wine, in which is riotous living, but drink deep in the Spirit,

19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. 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 giving thanks to God the Father for everything 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 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Submit yourselves one to another out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Wives likewise to their husbands as to the Lord,

23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.

because a husband is the head of his wife even as Christ is head of the church, his body, which he saves.

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should 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 Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her,

26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

in order that after cleansing her in the bath of baptism, he might sanctify her by his word,

27 and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

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 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

That is how husbands ought to love their wives, as they love their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

29 Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does 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 reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

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 This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

There is a deep mystery here - I am speaking of Christ and his church.

33 Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must 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.