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Ephesians 5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 5

1 So be imitators of God,[a] as beloved children,(A) 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.(B) 3 Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones,(C) 4 no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving.(D) 5 Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.(E)

Duty to Live in the Light. 6 (F)Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.[b] 7 So do not be associated with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,(G) 9 for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.(H) 10 Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.(I) 11 Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them,(J) 12 for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,(K) 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says:(L)

“Awake, O sleeper,
    and arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”[c]

15 [d]Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise,(M) 16 making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. 18 And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,(N) 19 addressing one another [in] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,(O) 20 giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.(P)

Wives and Husbands. 21 [e]Be subordinate to one another(Q) out of reverence for Christ.[f] 22 Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.(R) 23 For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body.(S) 24 As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her(T) 26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,(U) 27 that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.(V) 28 So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body.(W)

31 “For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother
    and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.”(X)

32 This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.(Y) 33 In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.

Footnotes

  1. 5:1 Imitators of God: in forgiving (Eph 4:32) and in loving (as exhibited in how Christ loved us).
  2. 5:6 See note on Eph 2:2.
  3. 5:14 An early Christian hymn, possibly from a baptismal liturgy. For the content compare Eph 2:5–6; 3:9 and Is 60:1.
  4. 5:15–16, 19–20 The wording is similar to Col 4:5 and Eph 3:16–17.
  5. 5:21–6:9 Cf. notes on Col 3:18–4:1 and 1 Pt 2:18–3:7 for a similar listing of household duties where the inferior is admonished first (wives, Eph 5:22; children, Eph 6:1; slaves, Eph 6:5), then the superior (husbands, Eph 5:25; fathers, Eph 6:4; masters, Eph 6:9). Paul varies this pattern by an emphasis on mutuality (see Eph 5:20); use of Old Testament material about father and mother in Eph 6:2; the judgment to come for slave-owners (you have a Master in heaven, Eph 6:9); and above all the initial principle of subordination to one another under Christ, thus effectively undermining exclusive claims to domination by one party. Into the section on wives and husbands an elaborate teaching on Christ and the church has been woven (Eph 5:22–33).
  6. 5:21–33 The apostle exhorts married Christians to a strong mutual love. Holding with Gn 2:24 that marriage is a divine institution (Eph 5:31), Paul sees Christian marriage as taking on a new meaning symbolic of the intimate relationship of love between Christ and the church. The wife should serve her husband in the same spirit as that of the church’s service to Christ (Eph 5:22, 24), and the husband should care for his wife with the devotion of Christ to the church (Eph 5:25–30). Paul gives to the Genesis passage its highest meaning in the light of the union of Christ and the church, of which Christlike loyalty and devotion in Christian marriage are a clear reflection (Eph 5:31–33).
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Ephesians 5
New King James Version

Walk in Love

5 Therefore(A) be imitators of God as dear (B)children. 2 And (C)walk in love, (D)as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God (E)for a sweet-smelling aroma.

3 But fornication and all (F)uncleanness or (G)covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 (H)neither filthiness, nor (I)foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, (J)which are not fitting, but rather (K)giving of thanks. 5 For [a]this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any (L)inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be (M)partakers with them.

Walk in Light

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are (N)light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for (O)the fruit of the [b]Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 (P)finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have (Q)no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather [c]expose them. 12 (R)For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But (S)all things that are [d]exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

(T)“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”

Walk in Wisdom

15 (U)See then that you walk [e]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 (V)redeeming the time, (W)because the days are evil.

17 (X)Therefore do not be unwise, but (Y)understand (Z)what the will of the Lord is. 18 And (AA)do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another (AB)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making (AC)melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 (AD)giving thanks always for all things to God the Father (AE)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 (AF)submitting to one another in the fear of [f]God.

Marriage—Christ and the Church(AG)

22 Wives, (AH)submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For (AI)the husband is head of the wife, as also (AJ)Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands (AK)in everything.

25 (AL)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and (AM)gave Himself for her, 26 that He might [g]sanctify and cleanse her (AN)with the washing of water (AO)by the word, 27 (AP)that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, (AQ)not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own 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 the Lord does the church. 30 For (AR)we are members of His body, [h]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 (AS)“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the (AT)two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless (AU)let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she (AV)respects her husband.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:5 NU know this
  2. Ephesians 5:9 NU light
  3. Ephesians 5:11 reprove
  4. Ephesians 5:13 reproved
  5. Ephesians 5:15 carefully
  6. Ephesians 5:21 NU Christ
  7. Ephesians 5:26 set it apart
  8. Ephesians 5:30 NU omits the rest of v. 30.
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Efesierbrevet 5
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015

5 (A) Bli därför Guds efterföljare, som hans älskade barn. 2 (B) Och lev i kärlek, så som Kristus har älskat oss och utgett sig själv för oss som en offergåva, ett väldoftande offer åt Gud.

3 (C) Men sexuell omoral och all orenhet eller girighet ska inte ens nämnas bland er, det anstår inte de heliga. 4 (D) Skamligt och dumt prat eller grova vitsar är också opassande. Tacka i stället Gud. 5 (E) Ni ska veta att ingen som är sexuellt omoralisk, oren eller girig, alltså en avgudadyrkare, har någon arvedel i Kristi och Guds rike. 6 (F) Låt ingen bedra er med tomma ord. Allt sådant gör att Guds vrede drabbar olydnadens barn. 7 Ha därför inget med dem att göra.

8 (G) Tidigare var ni mörker, men nu är ni ljus i Herren. Lev då som ljusets barn, 9 (H) för ljusets frukt består i allt vad godhet, rättfärdighet och sanning heter. 10 (I) Och pröva vad som gläder Herren. 11 (J) Var inte delaktiga i mörkrets ofruktbara gärningar utan avslöja dem i stället. 12 (K) Vad de gör i hemlighet är skamligt till och med att nämna. 13 (L) Men allt som avslöjas av ljuset blir synligt, 14 (M) för allt som uppenbaras är ljus. Därför heter det:

"Vakna, du som sover.
    Stå upp från de döda,
        och Kristus ska lysa över dig."[a]

15 (N) Tänk alltså noga på hur ni lever, inte som ovisa människor utan som visa. 16 (O) Ta väl vara på varje tillfälle, för dagarna är onda. 17 Var därför inte oförnuftiga utan förstå vad som är Herrens vilja. 18 (P) Berusa er inte med vin, det leder till vårdslöshet[b]. Låt er i stället uppfyllas av Anden 19 (Q) och tala till varandra med psalmer,[c] hymner och andliga sånger. Sjung och spela för Herren i era hjärtan. 20 (R) Och tacka alltid vår Gud och Far för allt i vår Herre Jesu Kristi namn.

Man och hustru i Kristus

21 (S) Underordna er[d] varandra i vördnad för Kristus. 22 (T) Ni hustrur, underordna er era män så som ni underordnar er Herren. 23 (U) En man är nämligen sin hustrus huvud, liksom Kristus är församlingens huvud och själv Frälsare för sin kropp. 24 Så som församlingen underordnar sig Kristus, så ska kvinnorna i allt underordna sig sina män.

25 (V) Ni män, älska era hustrur, så som Kristus har älskat församlingen och offrat sig för den. 26 (W) Han gjorde det för att helga den, sedan han renat den med vattnets bad i kraft av ordet, 27 (X) och föra fram församlingen inför sig i härlighet, utan fläck eller skrynkla[e] eller annat sådant. Helig och fläckfri skulle den vara.

28 På samma sätt är männen skyldiga att älska sina hustrur som sina egna kroppar. Den som älskar sin hustru älskar sig själv. 29 Ingen har någonsin hatat sin egen kropp, utan man ger den näring och sköter om[f] den. Så gör också Kristus med församlingen, 30 (Y) eftersom vi är delar i hans kropp. 31 (Z) Därför ska en man lämna sin far och sin mor och hålla sig till sin hustru, och de två ska bli ett kött.[g] 32 (AA) Denna hemlighet är stor – jag talar om Kristus och församlingen. 33 Men vad er angår ska var och en älska sin hustru som sig själv, och hustrun ska visa respekt för sin man.

Footnotes

  1. 5:14 Citatet är inte ordagrant efter GT men anspelar på Jes 9:2, 26:19, 60:1. Det kan också utgöra en del av en urkristen hymn.
  2. 5:18 vårdslöshet   Annan översättning: "utsvävningar".
  3. 5:19 tala till varandra med psalmer   Solosång var vanligt vid samlingarna (jfr 1 Kor 14:26).
  4. 5:21 underordna er   I tillit till den andres kärlek (jfr vers 25).
  5. 5:27 skrynkla   Annan översättning: "rynka" (i ansiktet).
  6. 5:29 sköter om   Annan översättning: "värmer".
  7. 5:31 1 Mos 2:24.
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Svenska Folkbibeln 2015 (SFB15)

Svenska Folkbibeln 2015, Copyright © 2015 by Svenska Folkbibeln Foundation