Ephesians 4-6

21st Century King James Version

4 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

² with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love,

³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

⁷ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

⁸ Therefore He saith, “When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”

⁹ (Now the saying, “He ascended” — what does it mean but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

¹⁰ He that descended is the same who also ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)

¹¹ And He gave some to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

¹² for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ,

¹³ until we all come into 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 fullness of Christ;

¹⁴ that we henceforth be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and their cunning and craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

¹⁵ but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, even Christ,

¹⁶ from 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.

¹⁷ This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

¹⁸ having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart,

¹⁹ who, being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness.

²⁰ But ye have not so learned Christ,

²¹ if so it be that ye have heard Him and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus:

²² that ye put off, concerning your former manner of living, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

²⁴ and that ye put on that new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

²⁵ Therefore, putting away lying, let every man speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath,

²⁷ neither give place to the devil.

²⁸ Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

²⁹ Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to use in edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice;

³² and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

5 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

² and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.

³ But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let them not once be named among you, as becometh saints;

⁴ neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not befitting, but rather giving of thanks.

⁵ For this ye know: that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

⁶ Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

⁷ Be ye not therefore partakers with them.

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

⁹ (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

¹⁰ proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them,

¹² for it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

¹³ But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

¹⁴ Therefore He saith: “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

¹⁵ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

¹⁷ Therefore, be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

¹⁸ And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit,

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

²⁰ giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

²¹ submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

²² Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord;

²³ for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and He is the savior of the body.

²⁴ Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,

²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,

²⁷ that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

²⁸ So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He hat loveth his wife loveth himself.

²⁹ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.

³⁰ For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.

³¹ “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.”

³² This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

³³ Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

² “Honor thy father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:

³ “that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”

⁴ And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

⁵ Servants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ,

⁶ not with eyeservice as menpleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

⁷ with good will doing service, as to the Lord and not to men,

⁸ knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

⁹ And ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening, knowing that your Master also is in Heaven; neither is there respect of persons with Him.

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³ Therefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and, having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness,

¹⁵ and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.

¹⁶ Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,

¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

¹⁹ And pray for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel,

²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

²¹ But that ye also may know my affairs and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things.

²² I have sent him unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

²³ Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴ Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.