Walk in Love

5 ^(A)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And ^(B)walk in love, ^(C)as Christ loved us and ^(D)gave himself up for us, a ^(E)fragrant ^(F)offering and sacrifice to God.

³ But ^(G)sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness ^(H)must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be ^(I)no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, ^(J)which are out of place, but instead ^(K)let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you may be sure of this, that ^(L)everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (^(M)that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ^6 (N)Let no one ^(O)deceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^(P)the wrath of God comes upon ^(Q)the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore ^(R)do not become partners with them; ⁸ for ^(S)at one time you were ^(T)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. ^(U)Walk as children of light ⁹ (for ^(V)the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and ^(W)try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ^11 (X)Take no part in the ^(Y)unfruitful ^(Z)works of darkness, but instead ^(AA)expose them. ¹² For ^(AB)it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when ^(AC)anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

^15 (AG)Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ^16 (AH)making the best use of the time, because ^(AI)the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what ^(AJ)the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And ^(AK)do not get drunk with wine, for that is ^(AL)debauchery, but ^(AM)be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in ^(AN)psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ^20 (AO)giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ^(AP)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (AQ)submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

^22 (AR)Wives, ^(AS)submit to your own husbands, ^(AT)as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(AU)the husband is the head of the wife even as ^(AV)Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is ^(AW)himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit ^(AX)in everything to their husbands.

^25 (AY)Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and ^(AZ)gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ^(BA)the washing of water ^(BB)with the word, ²⁷ so ^(BC)that he might present the church to himself in splendor, ^(BD)without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.^{[a] 28} In the same way ^(BE)husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because ^(BF)we are members of his body. ^31 (BG)“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and ^(BH)the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, ^(BI)let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^(BJ)respects her husband.

The Way of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have ^(A)prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, ^(B)so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ^3 (C)If I give away all I have, and ^(D)if I deliver up my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

^4 (E)Love is patient and ^(F)kind; love ^(G)does not envy or boast; it ^(H)is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It ^(I)does not insist on its own way; it ^(J)is not irritable or resentful;^{[b] 6} it ^(K)does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but ^(L)rejoices with the truth. ^7 (M)Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, ^(N)endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For ^(O)we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but ^(P)when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹² For ^(Q)now we see in a mirror dimly, but ^(R)then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as ^(S)I have been fully known.

¹³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.