English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

1Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

2Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

3Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.

4Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

4Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.

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.

5You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

6Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.

7Therefore do not become partners with them;

7Don’t participate in the things these people do.

8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

8For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

9For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

10Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

11Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.

12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

12It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.

13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,

13But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,

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 the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Living by the Spirit’s Power

15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

15So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.

16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

16Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

17Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

18Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,

19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

19singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.

20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

20And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands

21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

21And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

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

22For wives, this means submit to your 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 a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.

24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

24As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

25For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her

26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

26to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s 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 her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

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 ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself.

29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,

29No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.

30because we are members of his body.

30And 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.”

31As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”

32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

32This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.

33However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

33So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.