| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, | 1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. |
| 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; | 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. |
| 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. | 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. |
| 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; | 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; |
| 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, | 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; |
| 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. | 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. |
| 7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. | 7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. |
| 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. | 8This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people." |
| 9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? | 9(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? |
| 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) | 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) |
| 11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; | 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, |
| 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: | 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up |
| 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: | 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. |
| 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; | 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. |
| 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: | 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. |
| 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. | 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. |
| 17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, | 17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. |
| 18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: | 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. |
| 19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. | 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. |
| 20But ye have not so learned Christ; | 20That, however, is not the way of life you learned |
| 21If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: | 21when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. |
| 22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; | 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; |
| 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; | 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; |
| 24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. | 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. |
| 25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. | 25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. |
| 26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: | 26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, |
| 27Neither give place to the devil. | 27and do not give the devil a foothold. |
| 28Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. | 28Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. |
| 29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. | 29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. |
| 30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. | 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. |
| 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: | 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. |
| 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. | 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. |
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