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Ephesians 5
New King James Version
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
- Ephesians 5:5 NU know this
- Ephesians 5:9 NU light
- Ephesians 5:11 reprove
- Ephesians 5:13 reproved
- Ephesians 5:15 carefully
- Ephesians 5:21 NU Christ
- Ephesians 5:26 set it apart
- Ephesians 5:30 NU omits the rest of v. 30.
Ephesians 5
Easy-to-Read Version
Ephesians 5
Easy-to-Read Version
5 You are God’s dear children, so try to be like him. 2 Live a life of love. Love others just as Christ loved us. He gave himself for us—a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But there must be no sexual sin among you. There must not be any kind of evil or selfishly wanting more and more, because such things are not right for God’s holy people. 4 Also, there must be no evil talk among you. Don’t say things that are foolish or filthy. These are not for you. But you should be giving thanks to God. 5 You can be sure of this: No one will have a place in the kingdom of Christ and of God if that person commits sexual sins, or does evil things, or is a person who selfishly wants more and more. A greedy person like that is serving a false god.
6 Don’t let anyone fool you with words that are not true. God gets very angry when people who don’t obey him talk like that. 7 So don’t have anything to do with them. 8 In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light. 9 This light produces every kind of goodness, right living, and truth. 10 Try to learn what pleases the Lord. 11 Have no part in the things that people in darkness do, which produce nothing good. Instead, tell everyone how wrong those things are. 12 Actually, it is shameful to even talk about the things those people do in secret. 13 But the light makes clear how wrong those things are. 14 Yes, everything is made clear by the light. This is why we say,
“Wake up, you who are sleeping!
Rise from death,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 So be very careful how you live. Live wisely, not like fools. 16 I mean that you should use every opportunity you have for doing good, because these are evil times. 17 So don’t be foolish with your lives, but learn what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, which will ruin your life, but be filled with the Spirit. 19 Encourage each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. 20 Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wives and Husbands
21 Be willing to serve each other out of respect for Christ.
22 Wives, be willing to serve your husbands the same as the Lord. 23 A husband is the head of his wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. Christ is the Savior of the church, which is his body. 24 The church serves under Christ, so it is the same with you wives. You should be willing to serve your husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives the same as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. 26 He died to make the church holy. He used the telling of the Good News to make the church clean by washing it with water. 27 Christ died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty. He died so that the church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it.
28 And husbands should love their wives like that. They should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself, 29 because no one ever hates his own body, but feeds and takes care of it. And that is what Christ does for the church 30 because we are parts of his body. 31 The Scriptures say, “That is why a man will leave his father and mother and join his wife, and the two people will become one.”[a] 32 That secret truth is very important—I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 But each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 5:31
Quote from Gen. 2:24.
Ephesians 5
New International Version
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:
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
- Ephesians 5:5 Or kingdom of the Messiah and God
- Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
- Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24
Ephesians 5
English Standard Version
Ephesians 5
English Standard Version
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.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 5:27 Or holy and blameless
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.