Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to Ephesians 5
Close NASB

Ephesians 5
New American Standard Bible

Be Imitators of God

5 (A)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and (B)walk in love, just as Christ also (C)loved [a]you and (D)gave Himself up for us, an (E)offering and a sacrifice to God [b]as a (F)fragrant aroma.

3 But (G)sexual immorality [c]or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among [d]saints; 4 and there must be no (H)filthiness [e]or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which (I)are not fitting, but rather (J)giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that (K)no sexually immoral or [f]impure or greedy person, which [g]amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom (L)of Christ and God.

6 (M)See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things (N)the wrath of God comes upon (O)the [h]sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become (P)partners with them; 8 for (Q)you were once (R)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as (S)children of light 9 (for (T)the fruit of the light consists in all (U)goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 [i](V)as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 (W)Do not participate in the useless (X)deeds of (Y)darkness, but instead even (Z)expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible (AA)when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason [j]it says,

“(AB)Awake, sleeper,
And arise from (AC)the dead,
And Christ (AD)will shine on you.”

15 So then, [k]be careful how you (AE)walk, not (AF)as unwise people but as wise, 16 [l](AG)making the most of your time, because (AH)the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but (AI)understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And (AJ)do not get drunk with wine, [m]in which there is (AK)debauchery, but be (AL)filled with the Spirit, 19 (AM)speaking to [n]one another in (AN)psalms and (AO)hymns and spiritual (AP)songs, (AQ)singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; 20 (AR)always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our (AS)God and Father; 21 [o](AT)and subject yourselves to one another in the [p](AU)fear of Christ.

Marriage like Christ and the Church

22 (AV)Wives, (AW)subject yourselves to your own husbands, (AX)as to the Lord. 23 For (AY)the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the (AZ)head of the church, He Himself (BA)being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

25 (BB)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and (BC)gave Himself up for her, 26 (BD)so that He might sanctify her, having (BE)cleansed her by the (BF)washing of water with (BG)the word, 27 that He might (BH)present to Himself the church [q]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be (BI)holy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to (BJ)love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are (BK)parts of His (BL)body. 31 (BM)For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to (BN)love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she (BO)respects her husband.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:2 One early ms us
  2. Ephesians 5:2 Lit for an odor of fragrance
  3. Ephesians 5:3 Lit and all
  4. Ephesians 5:3 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  5. Ephesians 5:4 Lit and
  6. Ephesians 5:5 I.e., morally impure
  7. Ephesians 5:5 Lit is
  8. Ephesians 5:6 I.e., people opposed to God
  9. Ephesians 5:10 Lit putting to the test what
  10. Ephesians 5:14 Or He
  11. Ephesians 5:15 Lit look carefully
  12. Ephesians 5:16 Lit redeeming the time
  13. Ephesians 5:18 Or by which
  14. Ephesians 5:19 Or yourselves
  15. Ephesians 5:21 Lit being submissive to
  16. Ephesians 5:21 Or reverence for
  17. Ephesians 5:27 Lit glorious
Close ISV

Ephesians 5
International Standard Version

5 So be imitators of God, as his dear children. 2 Live lovingly, just as the Messiah[a] also loved us[b] and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God. 3 Do not let sexual sin, impurity of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Obscene, flippant, or vulgar talk is totally inappropriate. Instead, let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you know very well that no immoral or impure person, or anyone who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah[c] and of God.

Living in the Light

6 Do not let anyone deceive you with meaningless words, for it is because of these things that God becomes angry with those who disobey.[d] 7 So do not be partners with them. 8 For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, 9 for the fruit that the light[e] produces consists of every form of goodness, righteousness, and truth. 10 Determine what pleases the Lord, 11 and have nothing to do with the unfruitful actions that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by these disobedient people[f] in secret. 13 But everything that is exposed to the light becomes visible, 14 for the light is making everything visible. That is why it says,

“Wake up, sleeper!
    Arise from the dead,
        and the Messiah[g] will shine on you.’’[h]

Wise Behavior

15 So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, 16 making the best use of your time[i] because the times are evil. 17 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Stop getting[j] drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit. 19 Then you will recite to one another psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; you will sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts; 20 you will consistently give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah;[k] 21 and you will submit to one another out of reverence for[l] the Messiah.[m]

Wives and Husbands

22 Wives, submit yourselves[n] to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of his wife as the Messiah[o] is the head of the church. It is he who is the Savior of the body. 24 Indeed, just as the church is submissive to the Messiah,[p] so wives must be submissive[q] to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives as the Messiah[r] loved the church and gave himself for it, 26 so that he might make it holy by cleansing it, washing it with water and the word, 27 and might present the church to himself in all its glory, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, but holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love[s] their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one has ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, as the Messiah[t] does[u] the church.

30 For we are parts of his body—of his flesh and of his bones.[v] 31 “That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[w] 32 This is a great secret, but I am talking about the Messiah[x] and the church. 33 But each individual man among you must love his wife as he loves[y] himself; and may the wife fear her husband.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:2 Or Christ
  2. Ephesians 5:2 Other mss. read you
  3. Ephesians 5:5 Or Christ
  4. Ephesians 5:6 Lit. with the sons of disobedience
  5. Ephesians 5:9 Other mss. read fruit of the Spirit
  6. Ephesians 5:12 Lit. by them
  7. Ephesians 5:14 Or Christ
  8. Ephesians 5:14 The source of this quote is unknown.
  9. Ephesians 5:16 Or buying up the time
  10. Ephesians 5:18 Or Do not get
  11. Ephesians 5:20 Or Christ
  12. Ephesians 5:21 Or another in the fear of
  13. Ephesians 5:21 Or Christ
  14. Ephesians 5:22 Other mss. lack submit yourselves
  15. Ephesians 5:23 Or Christ
  16. Ephesians 5:24 Or Christ
  17. Ephesians 5:24 The Gk. lacks must be submissive
  18. Ephesians 5:25 Or Christ
  19. Ephesians 5:28 The Gk. lacks they love
  20. Ephesians 5:29 Or Christ
  21. Ephesians 5:29 The Gk. lacks does
  22. Ephesians 5:30 Other mss. lack of his flesh and of his bones
  23. Ephesians 5:31 Gen 2:24
  24. Ephesians 5:32 Or Christ
  25. Ephesians 5:33 The Gk. lacks he loves
Next
Ephesians 4
Ephesians 6
Next
dropdown
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

ISV Bible