| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. | 1Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. |
| 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. | 2And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. |
| 3But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. | 3But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. |
| 4Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. | 4Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. |
| 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. | 5For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God. |
| 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. | 6Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God's wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. |
| 7Therefore do not become partners with them; | 7Therefore, do not become their partners. |
| 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light | 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light-- |
| 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), | 9for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth-- |
| 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. | 10discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. |
| 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. | 11Don't participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. |
| 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. | 12For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. |
| 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, | 13Everything exposed by the light is made clear, |
| 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” | 14for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you. |
| 15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, | 15Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk--not as unwise people but as wise-- |
| 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. | 16making the most of the time, because the days are evil. |
| 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. | 17So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. |
| 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, | 18And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit: |
| 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, | 19speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord, |
| 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, | 20giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, |
| 21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. | 21submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. |
| 22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. | 22Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord, |
| 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. | 23for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. |
| 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. | 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. |
| 25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, | 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her |
| 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, | 26to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. |
| 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. | 27He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. |
| 28In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. | 28In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. |
| 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, | 29For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, |
| 30because we are members of his body. | 30since we are members of His body. |
| 31“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” | 31For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. |
| 32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. | 32This mystery is profound, but I am talking about 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. | 33To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband. |
|
