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Ephesians 5
New Catholic Bible

Chapter 5

1 Hence, be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a sacrificial offering whose fragrance is pleasing to God.

Sins To Avoid. 3 Indeed, fornication and impurity of any kind, as well as greed, should not even be mentioned among you. Such talk is not fitting for saints. 4 You should never engage in any obscene or foolish or suggestive conversation. All this is completely out of place. Instead, you should rather be engaged in offering thanks to God.

5 You can be absolutely certain that no immoral or impure person or one who is greedy—that is, an idolater—will have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no one deceive you with worthless arguments. These are the very things that bring down the wrath of God on those who are disobedient. 7 Do not associate with them.

Christians Are Children of Light. 8 Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, 9 for light produces all goodness and righteousness and truth. 10 Discern what the Lord finds pleasing. 11 Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather seek to expose them.

12 For it is shameful even to speak of what deeds people do in secret. 13 However, everything that is exposed by the light is made visible, 14 and whatever is made visible is light. Therefore, it is said,[a]

“Awake, O sleeper!
    Rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Therefore, take care to live as intelligent people, and do not be like those who are senseless. 16 Make the most of the present time, for this is a wicked age. 17 Do not be foolish, but recognize what is the will of the Lord. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which can lead to debauchery.

Rather, be filled with the Spirit, 19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with one another. Sing and chant to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ and Christian Spouses[b]

Be Subject to One Another in Christ. Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church, the body of which he is the Savior. 24 Just as the Church is subject to Christ, so also wives must be subject to their husbands in everything.

25 Love One Another in Christ. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her 26 in order to sanctify her by cleansing her with water and the word,[c] 27 in order to present the Church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such flaw, but holy and without the slightest blemish.

28 In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own body; rather, he nourishes it and cares for it, even as Christ does for the Church, 30 because we are members of his body.

31 For this reason
    a man shall leave his father and mother
    and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery. Here I am applying it to Christ and the Church. 33 However, each one of you should love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife should respect her husband.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:14 It is said: the text cited was probably taken from an early Christian liturgical hymn (see also Isa 26:19; 60:1).
  2. Ephesians 5:21 Christianity promotes, in community and in family, a new kind of relationship that is marked by humility and mutual submission. Here is a practical essay on the subject. The Old Testament had a lofty idea of marriage and liked to use the image of spouses to suggest God’s faithful love for his people (Ps 45; Song 1:3; Isa 54:4, 8; 62:4-5; Ezek 16; Hos 1:3).

    21 
    In the same tradition, Christians compare the relationship of Christ and the Church with a marriage (Mt 9:15; 22:2-4; 25:1-13; Jn 3:29; 2 Cor 11:2; Rev 19:7; 21:2-9). Here Paul goes even further: marriage as such is related to the mystery of Christ and the Church; the reciprocal love of Christ and the Church becomes the foundation and model for the life of spouses, who ought to be a sign and manifestation of that reciprocal love. There is a profound connection between the oneness of marriage and the oneness of Christ with the Church; the former reveals the ultimate intention of the creator when he created the human couple: an intention that the first generation of Christians saw in the text of Gen 2:24 (see Mt 19:5; Mk 10:8; 1 Cor 6:16-17). Chapter 5 of the Letter to the Ephesians, following the same theological line of thought, gives us one of the finest passages on the mystery of the Church and the spirituality of marriage. Paul’s ideas on marriage may be completed by a reading of 1 Cor 7:1-14 and Col 3:18-19.

  3. Ephesians 5:26 Cleansing her with water and the word: a reference to Baptism (pouring of water and sacramental formula). Perhaps Paul had in mind the Oriental practice in the purification of a wife.
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Ephesians 5
Disciples’ Literal New Testament

As Beloved Children, Be Imitators of God And Walk In Love

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And be walking in love, just as Christ also loved us and handed Himself over for us— an offering and a sacrifice to God for an aroma of fragrance.

But Don’t Let Any Kind of Impurity Or Greed Exist Among You

3 But let sexual-immorality and all impurity or greed not even be named[a] among you, as is proper for saints— 4 and filthiness[b] and foolish-talk or coarse-joking[c], which are not fitting, but rather thanksgiving.

You Know This Is Right, So Don’t Be Partakers With Those Inheriting Wrath

5 For you know this[d]— recognizing[e] that every sexually-immoral or impure or greedy person (that is, an idolater) does not have an 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 is coming upon the sons of [f] disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be fellow-partakers with them.

For You Were Formerly Darkness, But Now You Are Light; Walk As Children of Light

8 For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Be walking as children of [g] light (9 for the fruit of the light is in[h] all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 approving what is pleasing[i] to the Lord.

Expose The Works of Darkness To God’s Light

11 And do not be participating in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even be exposing[j] them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak the things being done in secret by them, 13 but all things being exposed by the light become-visible[k]. 14 For everything becoming-visible is[l] light. Therefore he[m] says, “Awake, sleeping one, and rise-up from the dead, and Christ will shine-on you.”

So Walk Wisely, Redeeming The Time. Be Filled With The Spirit, And Subject To One Another

15 Therefore be watching carefully how you walk— not as unwise, but as wise, 16 redeeming[n] the time, because the days are evil. 17 For this reason, do not be foolish ones, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get-drunk with wine, in[o] which is wild-living, but be filled with[p] the Spirit, 19 speaking to each other with[q] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making-melody with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving-thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father, 21 being-subject[r] to one another in the fear[s] of Christ—

Wives, Be Subject To Your Husbands As The Church Is Subject To Christ

22 ... wives— to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 Because a husband is the head of his wife as also Christ is the head of the church, He being the Savior of the body. 24 Nevertheless[t], as the church is subject to Christ, in this manner also let the wives be to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, Love Your Wives As Christ Loved The Church

25 Husbands, be loving your wives just-as Christ also loved the church and handed Himself over for her 26 in order that He might sanctify[u] her, having cleansed[v] her with[w] the washing[x] of water by[y] the word, 27 in order that He might present the church to Himself as glorious— not having spot or wrinkle or any of such things, but that she might be holy and without-blemish. 28 In this manner[z], husbands ought also to be loving their wives as their own bodies. The one loving his wife is loving himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are body-parts of His body. 31 “For this cause a man shall leave-behind his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two will be one flesh” [Gen 2:24]. 32 This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and with reference to the church. 33 Nevertheless, you also individually, let each in this manner be loving his wife as himself. And let the wife see that she be respecting her husband.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:3 That is, identified as part of your behavior.
  2. Ephesians 5:4 Or, indecency, obscenity, shamefulness in word or deed.
  3. Ephesians 5:4 Or, vulgar-wittiness.
  4. Ephesians 5:5 That is, v 3-4.
  5. Ephesians 5:5 For you know this— recognizing that. Or, For know this with certainty— that.
  6. Ephesians 5:6 See 2:2.
  7. Ephesians 5:8 That is, characterized by.
  8. Ephesians 5:9 That is, consisting of; or, in the sphere of.
  9. Ephesians 5:10 Or, acceptable.
  10. Ephesians 5:11 Or, bringing to light, rebuking.
  11. Ephesians 5:13 by the light become-visible. Or, are made-visible by the light.
  12. Ephesians 5:14 That is, reflects.
  13. Ephesians 5:14 Or, it. That is, the one exposing the sin says this; or, Paul may be referring to a written source, perhaps Isa 60:1.
  14. Ephesians 5:16 That is, buying up the time for the Lord, saving it from being lost or wasted; making the most of your time.
  15. Ephesians 5:18 That is, in connection with.
  16. Ephesians 5:18 Or, by.
  17. Ephesians 5:19 Or, in, by means of.
  18. Ephesians 5:21 Or, subjecting yourselves, voluntarily-submitting.
  19. Ephesians 5:21 Or, respect, reverence.
  20. Ephesians 5:24 Or, But, However. That is, although your husband is not your savior. Or, So, Indeed.
  21. Ephesians 5:26 Or, make her holy.
  22. Ephesians 5:26 Or, cleansing, concurrently with the sanctifying.
  23. Ephesians 5:26 Or, by, in.
  24. Ephesians 5:26 Or, bath.
  25. Ephesians 5:26 Or, with, in.
  26. Ephesians 5:28 In this manner, husbands. That is, like Christ loved His body, the church, referring back to v 25. Or, In this manner husbands... wives: as their own bodies.
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Ephesians 5
New International Version

5 1 Follow God’s example,(A) therefore, as dearly loved children(B) 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us(C) and gave himself up for us(D) as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.(E)

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,(F) or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,(G) because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk(H) or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.(I) 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater(J)—has any inheritance(K) in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a](L) 6 Let no one deceive you(M) with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath(N) comes on those who are disobedient.(O) 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

8 For you were once(P) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(Q) 9 (for the fruit(R) of the light consists in all goodness,(S) righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.(T) 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,(U) but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light(V) becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,(W)
    rise from the dead,(X)
    and Christ will shine on you.”(Y)

15 Be very careful, then, how you live(Z)—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity,(AA) because the days are evil.(AB) 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.(AC) 18 Do not get drunk on wine,(AD) which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,(AE) 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.(AF) Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks(AG) to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Instructions for Christian Households(AH)

21 Submit to one another(AI) out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands(AJ) as you do to the Lord.(AK) 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,(AL) his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands(AM) in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives,(AN) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her(AO) 26 to make her holy,(AP) cleansing[b] her by the washing(AQ) with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself(AR) as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.(AS) 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives(AT) as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.(AU) 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c](AV) 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife(AW) as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:5 Or kingdom of the Messiah and God
  2. Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
  3. Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24
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Ephesians 4
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