Follow God’s example,(A) therefore, as dearly loved children(B) and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us(C) and gave himself up for us(D) as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.(E)

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,(F) or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,(G) because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk(H) or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.(I) For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater(J)—has any inheritance(K) in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a](L) Let no one deceive you(M) with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath(N) comes on those who are disobedient.(O) Therefore do not be partners with them.

For you were once(P) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(Q) (for the fruit(R) of the light consists in all goodness,(S) righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.(T) 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,(U) but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light(V) becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,(W)
    rise from the dead,(X)
    and Christ will shine on you.”(Y)

15 Be very careful, then, how you live(Z)—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity,(AA) because the days are evil.(AB) 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.(AC) 18 Do not get drunk on wine,(AD) which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,(AE) 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.(AF) Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks(AG) to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Instructions for Christian Households(AH)

21 Submit to one another(AI) out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands(AJ) as you do to the Lord.(AK) 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,(AL) his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands(AM) in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives,(AN) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her(AO) 26 to make her holy,(AP) cleansing[b] her by the washing(AQ) with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself(AR) as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.(AS) 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives(AT) as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.(AU) 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c](AV) 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife(AW) as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:5 Or kingdom of the Messiah and God
  2. Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
  3. Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,(A) and walk in love, as Christ loved us[a] and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.(B)

Renounce Pagan Ways

But sexual immorality and impurity of any kind or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints.(C) Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no sexually immoral or impure person or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.(D)

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient.[b](E) Therefore do not be associated with them, for once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light,(F) for the fruit of the light[c] is found in all that is good and right and true. 10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness; rather, expose them.(G) 12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly, 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Sleeper, awake!
    Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”(H)

15 Be careful, then, how you live,[d] not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.(I) 17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.(J) 18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,(K) 19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts,(L) 20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,(M) 21 being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

The Christian Household

22 Wives, be subject[e] to your husbands as to the Lord,(N) 23 for the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.(O) 24 Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, 27 so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, so that she may be holy and without blemish.(P) 28 In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 because we are members of his body.[f](Q) 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”(R) 32 This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. 33 Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect[g] her husband.

Footnotes

  1. 5.2 Other ancient authorities read you
  2. 5.6 Gk sons of disobedience
  3. 5.9 Other ancient authorities read of the Spirit
  4. 5.15 Gk walk
  5. 5.22 Gk lacks be subject
  6. 5.30 Other ancient authorities add of his flesh and of his bones
  7. 5.33 Or fear

Therefore oun be ginomai imitators mimētēs of ho God theos as hōs his dear agapētos children teknon, and kai live peripateō in en love agapē, just as kathōs · kai · ho Christ Christos loved agapaō us hēmeis and kai gave paradidōmi himself heautou for hyper us hēmeis as eis a fragrant osmē offering prosphora and kai sacrifice thusia to ho God theos.

But de sexual immorality porneia and kai every kind of pas impurity akatharsia or ē covetousness pleonexia must not even mēde be mentioned onomazō among en you hymeis, as kathōs is proper prepō among the saints hagios; nor kai obscenity aischrotēs, · kai foolish talk mōrologia, or ē coarse joking eutrapelia, which hos are not ou fitting anēkō, but alla rather mallon thanksgiving eucharistia. For gar you may be sure of oida this houtos, that hoti no ou fornicator pornos or ē impure akathartos or ē covetous person pleonektēs ( such a one hos is eimi an idolater eidōlolatrēs) has echō any inheritance klēronomia in en the ho kingdom basileia of ho Christ Christos and kai of God theos. Let apataō no one mēdeis deceive apataō you hymeis with empty kenos words logos, for gar because of dia these things houtos the ho wrath orgē of ho God theos comes erchomai upon epi the ho sons hyios of ho disobedience apeitheia. Therefore oun do not become ginomai partners symmetochos with them autos; for gar once pote you were eimi darkness skotos, but de now nyn you are light phōs in en the Lord kyrios. Live peripateō as hōs children teknon of light phōs ( for gar the ho fruit karpos of ho light phōs consists in en all pas goodness agathōsynē, · kai righteousness dikaiosynē, and kai truth alētheia), 10 always trying to discern dokimazō what tis is eimi pleasing euarestos to the ho Lord kyrios. 11 And kai do not take part synkoinōneō in the ho fruitless akarpos deeds ergon · ho of ho darkness skotos but de instead mallon · kai expose elenchō them, 12 for gar it is eimi shameful aischros even kai to speak legō of what ho is done ginomai by hypo them autos in secret kryphē. 13 · ho But de everything pas that is exposed elenchō becomes illuminated phaneroō by hypo the ho light phōs, 14 for gar everything pas that ho becomes illuminated phaneroō is eimi light phōs. Therefore dio it says legō, “ Wake egeirō up , · ho sleeper katheudō, and kai rise anistēmi from ek the ho dead nekros, and kai Christ Christos will shine epiphauskō on you sy.” · ho

15 So oun be very akribōs careful blepō how pōs you live peripateō, not as hōs unwise asophos people but alla as hōs wise sophos, 16 making the most exagorazō of the ho time kairos, because hoti the ho days hēmera are eimi evil ponēros. 17 Therefore dia houtos do not be ginomai foolish aphrōn, but alla understand syniēmi what tis the ho will thelēma of the ho Lord kyrios is. 18 And kai do not get drunk methyskō with wine oinos, in en which hos is eimi debauchery asōtia; instead alla, be filled plēroō with en the Spirit pneuma, 19 speaking laleō to one another heautou in en psalms psalmos and kai hymns hymnos and kai songs ōdē inspired by the Spirit pneumatikos; singing adō and kai making melody psallō in ho your hymeis heart kardia to the ho Lord kyrios, 20 giving thanks eucharisteō in en the name onoma of ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos to ho God theos the Father patēr at all times pantote and for hyper everything pas. · kai 21 Be subject hypotassō to one allēlōn another out en of reverence phobos for Christ Christos. 22 · ho Wives gynē, be subject to ho your idios husbands anēr as hōs to the ho Lord kyrios, 23 for hoti the husband anēr is eimi the head kephalē of the ho wife gynē as hōs Christ Christos also kai · ho is the head kephalē of the ho church ekklēsia, and is himself autos the savior sōtēr of the ho body sōma. 24 But alla as hōs the ho church ekklēsia is subject hypotassō to ho Christ Christos, so houtōs also kai should · ho wives gynē be subject to their ho husbands anēr in en everything pas. 25 · ho Husbands anēr, love agapaō your ho wives gynē, just as kathōs · kai · ho Christ Christos loved agapaō the ho church ekklēsia and kai gave himself heautou up paradidōmi for hyper her autos, 26 that hina he might sanctify hagiazō her autos, cleansing katharizō her by the ho washing loutron of ho water hydōr through en the word rhēma, 27 so that hina he autos might present paristēmi the ho church ekklēsia to himself heautou in splendor endoxos, not having echō spot spilos or ē wrinkle rhytis or ē any tis · ho such thing toioutos, but alla that hina she might be eimi holy hagios and kai without blemish. 28 In the same way houtōs husbands anēr also kai should opheilō · ho love agapaō · ho their heautou wives gynē as hōs · ho their own heautou bodies sōma. He ho who loves agapaō · ho his heautou wife gynē loves agapaō himself heautou, 29 for gar no one oudeis ever pote hates miseō · ho his own heautou body sarx but alla nourishes ektrephō and kai takes care of thalpō it autos, just as kathōs · kai · ho Christ Christos does the ho church ekklēsia, 30 since hoti we are eimi members melos of ho his autos body sōma. 31  For anti this reason houtos a man anthrōpos shall leave kataleipō his ho father patēr and kai his ho mother mētēr and kai be joined proskollaō to pros · ho his autos wife gynē, and kai the ho two dyo shall become eimi one heis flesh sarx.” 32 · ho This houtos mystery mystērion is eimi profound megas, but de I egō am speaking legō about eis Christ Christos and kai about eis the ho church ekklēsia. 33 Nevertheless plēn, · kai each hekastos one heis of kata you hymeis · ho is to love agapaō · ho his heautou wife gynē as hōs he loves himself heautou, and de the ho wife gynē is to respect phobeomai her ho husband anēr.