Ephesians 4
Wycliffe Bible
4 Therefore I bound for the Lord beseech you, that ye walk worthily in the calling, in which ye be called,
2 with all meekness and mildness, with patience supporting each other in charity [with patience supporting, or up-bearing, together in charity],
3 busy to keep unity of Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 One body and one Spirit, as ye be called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, which is above all men, and by all things, and in us all.
7 But to each of us grace is given by the measure of the giving of Christ [after the measure of the giving of Christ];
8 for which thing he saith, He ascending on high, led captivity captive, he gave gifts to men.
9 But what is it, that he ascended up, no but that also he came down first into the lower parts of the earth? [Forsooth that he ascended, what is it, no but for he descended first into the lower parts of the earth?]
10 He it is that came down, and that ascended [up] on all heavens, that he should fill all things.
11 And he gave some apostles, some prophets, others evangelists, others shepherds and teachers,
12 to the full ending of saints, into the work of ministry, into [the] edification of Christ's body,
13 till we run all, into unity of faith and of knowing of God's Son, into a perfect man, after the measure of the age of the plenty of Christ; [till we run all, in unity of faith and of knowing of God's Son, into a perfect man, into the measure of age of the plenty of Christ;]
14 that we be not now little children, moving as waves, and be not borne about with each wind of teaching [and be borne about with all wind of teaching], in the waywardness of men, in subtle wit, to the deceiving of error.
15 But do we truth in charity, and wax in him by all things, that is Christ our head; [Forsooth we doing truth in charity, wax in him by all things, that is Christ the head;]
16 of whom all the body set together, and bound together by each jointure of under-serving, by working into the measure of each member [after working into the measure of each member], maketh increasing of the body, into [the] edification of itself in charity.
17 Therefore I say and witness this thing in the Lord [Therefore this thing I say, and witness in the Lord], that ye walk not now, as heathen men walk, in the vanity of their wit;
18 that have understanding darkened with darknesses [having their understanding darkened], and be aliened from the life of God, by ignorance that is in them, for the blindness of their heart.
19 Which despairing betook themselves to unchastity, into the working of all uncleanness in covetousness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ,
21 if nevertheless ye heard him, and be taught in him, as is truth in Jesus.
22 Do ye away by the old living the old man, that is corrupt by the desires of error; [Do ye away after the first living the old man, that is corrupt after the desires of error;]
23 and be ye renewed in the spirit of your soul;[a]
24 and clothe ye the new man, which is made after God in rightwiseness and holiness of truth. [and clothe ye the new man, which after God is made of nought in rightwiseness and holiness of truth.]
25 For which thing put ye away lying, and speak ye truth each man with his neighbour, for we be members each to other. [For which thing putting away lying, speak truth each man with his neighbour, for we be members together.]
26 Be ye wroth, and do not do sin; the sun fall not down on your wrath [the sun fall not down upon your wrath].
27 Do not ye give stead to the devil.
28 He that stole, now steal he not; but more rather travail he in working with his hands that that is good, that he have whereof he shall give to the needy. [He that stole, now steal not; but more travail he in working with his hands that that is good thing, that he have whereof he shall give to a man suffering need.]
29 Each evil word go not out of your mouth; but if any is good to the edification of faith, that it give grace to men that hear [that it give grace to men hearing].
30 And do not ye make the Holy Ghost of God sorry [And do not ye make the Holy Ghost of God sorry, or heavy], in which ye be marked in the day of redemption.
31 All bitterness, and wrath, and indignation, and cry, and blasphemy be taken away from you, with all malice;
32 and be ye together benign [forsooth be ye together benign, or of good will], merciful, forgiving together, as also God forgave to you in Christ.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 4:23 forsooth be ye renewed, or made new again, by the spirit of your mind;
Ephesians 4
New Matthew Bible
He exhorts them to meekness and longsuffering, to love and peace. Everyone is to serve and edify the other with the gift that God has given him, to beware of strange doctrine, to lay aside the old life of greedy desires, and to walk in a new life.
4 I therefore, who am in bonds for the Lord’s sake, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling wherein you are called, 2 in all humbleness of mind, and meekness and longsuffering, forbearing one another through love; 3 and to be diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, 4 being one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling. 5 Let there be but one Lord, one faith, one baptism: 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in you all.
7 To every one of us grace is given according to the nature and scope of the gift of Christ. 8 Therefore he says: He ascended up on high, and has led captivity captive, and has given gifts to men. 9 That he ascended, what does it mean but that he also descended first, into the lowest parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same also who ascended up, even above all heavens, to fulfil all things. 11 And the very same made some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some shepherds, and some teachers, 12 so that the saints may have all things necessary to work and minister for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 until we every one (in the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God) grow up to be perfect in the maturity of the fullness of Christ; 14 so that we henceforth would no longer be children, wavering and carried with every wind of doctrine by the wiliness of men, and craftiness whereby they lay in wait for us, to deceive us.
15 But let us follow the truth in love, and in all things grow in him who is the head; that is to say, Christ. 16 In him all the body is coupled and knit together in every joint, and one ministers to another (according to the divine working, as every part has its role), and advances the body for the edifying of itself in love.
17 I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that henceforth you must not walk like other Gentiles walk, in vanity of their mind, 18 blinded in their understanding, being alienated from the life that is in God, through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts; 19 who, being past repentance, have given themselves over to wantonness, to work all manner of uncleanness, even with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ – 21 if it so be that you have heard him, and are taught in him, inasmuch as the truth is in Jesus. 22 So then, as concerning the former lifestyle, lay away from you that old man, which is corrupt through deceptive desires and affections, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on that new man, which is shapen in the image of God in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Therefore put away lying, and let every person speak truth to his neighbour, seeing as we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, but sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath; 27 neither give place to the backbiter. 28 Let him who stole steal no more, but let him rather do good work with his hands, so that he may have something to give to him who has need.
29 Let no unwholesome talk proceed out of your mouths, but that which is good to edify when needful, so that it may find favour with the hearers. 30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, fierceness, and wrath, shouting and cursing, be put away from you, with all maliciousness. 32 Be kind to one another, and merciful, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake forgave you.
Ephesians 4
Authorized (King James) Version
4 I therefore, the prisoner of 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 endeavouring 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 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, 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, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 till 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: 14 that 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; 15 but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which 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 be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that ye put off concerning the former conversation 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 the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 neither give place to the devil. 28 Let 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. 29 Let 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. 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 clamour, 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.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.