1You are the children that God dearly loves. So follow his example.2Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. He was a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.3There should not be even a hint of sexual sin among you. Don’t do anything impure. And do not always want more and more. These are not the things God’s holy people should do.4There must not be any bad language or foolish talk or dirty jokes. They are out of place. Instead, you should give thanks.5Here is what you can be sure of. Those who give themselves over to sexual sins are lost. So are people whose lives are impure. The same is true of those who always want more and more. People who do these things might as well worship statues of gods. No one who does them will receive a share in the kingdom of Christ and of God.6Don’t let anyone fool you with worthless words. People who say things like that aren’t obeying God. He is angry with them.7So don’t go along with people like that.8At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light.9The light produces what is completely good, right and true.10Find out what pleases the Lord.11Have nothing to do with the acts of darkness. They don’t produce anything good. Show what they are really like.12It is shameful even to talk about what people who don’t obey do in secret.13But everything the light shines on can be seen. And everything that the light shines on becomes a light.14That is why it is said, ‘Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead. Then Christ will shine on you.’15So be very careful how you live. Do not live like people who aren’t wise. Live like people who are wise.16Make the most of every opportunity. The days are evil.17So don’t be foolish. Instead, understand what the Lord wants.18Don’t fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.20Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give thanks to him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Teachings for Christian families
21Follow the lead of one another because of your respect for Christ.22Wives, follow the lead of your own husbands as you follow the Lord.23The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. The church is Christ’s body. He is its Saviour.24The church follows the lead of Christ. In the same way, wives should follow the lead of their husbands in everything.25Husbands, love your wives. Love them just as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her.26He did it to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her with water and the word.27He did it to bring her to himself as a brightly shining church. He wants a church that has no stain or wrinkle or any other flaw. He wants a church that is holy and without blame.28In the same way, husbands should love their wives. They should love them as they love their own bodies. Any man who loves his wife loves himself.29After all, no one ever hated their own body. Instead, they feed and care for their body. And this is what Christ does for the church.30We are parts of his body.31Scripture says, ‘That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one.’ (Ge 2:24)32That is a deep mystery. But I’m talking about Christ and the church.33A husband also must love his wife. He must love her just as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband.
Ephesians 5
English Standard Version
Walk in Love
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. (Mt 5:7; Mt 5:48; Lu 6:36; Eph 4:32)2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ge 8:21; Joh 13:34; Ro 4:25; Ro 8:37; Ro 14:15; Col 3:14; Heb 7:27; Heb 9:14; Heb 10:10; Heb 10:12)3But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. (Ps 16:4; 1Co 6:18; Ga 5:19; Eph 5:12)4Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (Ec 10:13; Ro 1:28; Eph 4:29; Eph 5:20)5For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (1Co 6:9; Col 3:5)6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Mt 24:4; Ro 1:18; Eph 2:2; Col 2:8; Col 3:6; 1Pe 1:14)7Therefore do not become partners with them; (Eph 3:6)8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (Isa 2:5; Lu 16:8; Joh 12:35; Ac 26:18; Eph 2:1)9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), (Ro 7:4; Ga 5:22)10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (1Th 2:4; 1Th 5:21)11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (Le 19:17; Ro 6:21; Ro 13:12; 1Co 5:9; 1Ti 5:20)12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. (Eph 5:3)13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, (Joh 3:20; Eph 5:9)14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Isa 26:19; Isa 51:17; Isa 52:1; Isa 60:1; Mal 4:2; Lu 1:78; Ro 13:11)15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, (Pr 15:21; Col 4:5)16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ec 12:1; Am 5:13; Ga 1:4; Eph 5:15; Eph 6:13)17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ro 12:2; 1Th 4:3; 1Th 5:18)18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, (Pr 20:1; Pr 23:20; Pr 23:31; Lu 1:15; 1Co 5:11; Tit 1:6; 1Pe 4:4)19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, (Ac 16:25; 1Co 14:26; Col 3:16; Jas 5:13)20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Joh 14:13; Col 3:17; 1Th 1:2; 2Th 1:3; Heb 13:15)21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Php 2:3)
Wives and Husbands
22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (Ge 3:16; Eph 6:5; Col 3:18)23For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. (1Co 6:13; 1Co 11:3; Eph 1:22)24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. (Col 3:20; Col 3:22; Tit 2:9)25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, (Eph 5:2; Eph 5:28; Eph 5:33; 1Pe 3:7)26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (Joh 15:3; Eph 6:17; Tit 3:5; Heb 6:5; Re 7:14)27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[1] (So 4:7; 2Co 11:2; Eph 1:4)28In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Eph 5:25; Eph 5:33)29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,30because we are members of his body. (Ge 2:23; 1Co 6:15)31“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ge 2:24; Mt 19:5; Mr 10:7; 1Co 6:16)32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.33However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph 5:25; Eph 5:28; 1Pe 3:2; 1Pe 3:6)