Ephesians 5:15-6:4

Christian Standard Bible

Consistency in the Christian Life

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

Wives and Husbands

²² Wives,^(H) submit^[b](I) to your husbands^(J) as to the Lord, ²³ because the husband is the head of the wife^(K) as Christ is the head^(L) of the church. He is the Savior of the body.^{(M) 24} Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives,^(N) just as Christ loved^(O) the church and gave himself^(P) for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[c] her with the washing of water by the word. ²⁷ He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.^{(Q) 28} In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, ³⁰ since we are members of his body.^{[d] 31} For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,^(R) and the two will become one flesh.^{[e](S) 32} This mystery^(T) is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

Children and Parents

6 Children, obey^(U) your parents in the Lord, because this is right. ² Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, ³ so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.^{[f][g](V) 4} Fathers, don’t stir up anger^(W) in your children, but bring them up in the training^(X) and instruction of the Lord.