Ephesians 5:15-21

Christian Standard Bible

Consistency in the Christian Life

¹⁵Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— ¹⁶making the most of the time,^[a]^(A) because the days are evil. ¹⁷So don’t be foolish, but understand^(B) what the Lord’s will^(C) is. ¹⁸And don’t get drunk^(D) with wine,^(E) which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:^(F) ¹⁹speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, ²⁰giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.^(G)

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Footnotes

5:16 Lit buying back the time

Amos 5:4-15

Christian Standard Bible

Seek God and Live

⁴For the Lord says to the house of Israel:

Seek me and live!^(A)
⁵Do not seek Bethel^(B)
or go to Gilgal^(C)
or journey to Beer-sheba,^(D)
for Gilgal will certainly go into exile,
and Bethel will come to nothing.
⁶Seek the Lord^(E) and live,
or he will spread like fire^(F)
throughout the house of Joseph;
it will consume everything
with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.^(G)
⁷Those who turn justice into wormwood^(H)
also throw righteousness to the ground.

⁸The one who made the Pleiades and Orion,^(I)
who turns darkness^[a] into dawn^(J)
and darkens day into night,^(K)
who summons the water of the sea^(L)
and pours it out over the surface of the earth^(M)—
the Lord is his name.^(N)
⁹He brings destruction^[b] on the strong,^[c]^(O)
and it falls on the fortress.^(P)

¹⁰They hate the one who convicts the guilty^(Q)
at the city gate,
and they despise^(R) the one who speaks with integrity.
¹¹Therefore, because you trample on the poor^(S)
and exact a grain tax from him,
you will never live in the houses of cut stone^(T)
you have built;
you will never drink the wine
from the lush vineyards
you have planted.^(U)
¹²For I know your crimes are many
and your sins innumerable.
They oppress the righteous,^(V) take a bribe,
and deprive the poor of justice^(W) at the city gates.
¹³Therefore, those who have insight will keep silent^[d]^(X)
at such a time,
for the days are evil.

¹⁴Pursue good and not evil
so that you may live,
and the Lord, the God of Armies,
will be with you
as you have claimed.^(Y)
¹⁵Hate evil and love good;^(Z)
establish justice at the city gate.^(AA)
Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be gracious^(AB)
to the remnant of Joseph.^(AC)

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Footnotes

5:8 Or turns the shadow of death
5:9 Hb obscure
5:9 Or stronghold
5:13 Or who are prudent will perish

Colossians 3:12-17

Christian Standard Bible

The Christian Life

¹²Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved,^(A) put on compassion, kindness,^(B) humility,^(C) gentleness,^(D) and patience,^(E) ¹³bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.^(F) ¹⁴Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called^(G) in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,^[a] singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name^(H) of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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Footnotes

3:16 Or and songs prompted by the Spirit

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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