5 You are God's children and he loves you very much. So you must try to be like him. 2 Show that you love other people. Remember how much Christ loved us. He gave himself as a sacrifice on our behalf. He offered himself in a way that pleased God, like a sacrifice with a lovely smell.
3 So, as God's people, you must never have sex with anyone that you are not married to. Do not do any kind of disgusting thing like that. Do not want many things for yourselves, just to make you happy. That is not how God's people should live. 4 Do not speak in a way which uses dirty words. Do not talk about silly things, like fools do. It is not right for God's people to talk like that. Instead, you should speak in a way which shows that you are thanking God.
5 You can be sure about this: If anyone has sex in a wrong way, that person does not belong to God's people. Nobody who does any kind of disgusting thing belongs to God's people. People who want many things just to please themselves are like people who worship an idol. They also do not belong to God's people. Nobody like that belongs to the kingdom where Christ and God rule. They will not receive the good things that God has prepared for his people.
6 Do not let anyone have a chance to deceive you with a false message about those kinds of bad things. God will certainly punish people who do not obey him. 7 So keep away from those kinds of people. 8 Once your minds were completely in the dark. But now you belong to the Lord. As a result, you have become full of light. So now you must live as people who belong to the light. 9 The light helps you to live in a way that is good, right and true. 10 You should learn more and more to do the things that please the Lord. 11 People whose minds are in the dark do things that have no good purpose. Keep away from wrong things like that. Instead, show how bad those things really are. 12 People like that should be ashamed of the things that they do secretly. Those things are too bad for us even to talk about. 13 But when God's light shines on something, people can see clearly its true nature. 14 Everything that becomes clear to see is in the light. That is why it says:
‘Wake up, you people who are asleep!
Rise up from among the dead people!
Then Christ will shine his light on you.’ [ a ]
15 So you must be very careful how you live. Live like people who are wise. Do not live like fools. 16 Many bad things are happening in these days. So, whenever you have a chance to do something good, do as much as you can. 17 Do not live like fools. But instead, understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Do not drink too much wine so that you become drunk. That will destroy your life. Instead, let God's Spirit fill you. 19 He will help you to speak to each other with all kinds of spiritual songs. Sing psalms from the Bible, and Christian songs. Praise the Lord with songs from inside yourselves. 20 And always thank God, the Father, for everything, by our Lord Jesus Christ's name.
21 Serve one another to show that you respect Christ as your master.
22 Wives, obey your own husbands, as you obey the Lord. 23 A husband has authority over his wife, in the same way that Christ has authority over the church. The church is like Christ's body. As its head, he saves her. 24 As the church serves Christ as its master, so wives should serve their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church. He even agreed to die on its behalf. 26 He did that to make us completely clean, as the people of God. It was like he washed us with water, as he brought God's message to us. 27 Christ himself did this to bring us to himself as a beautiful group of his people. His church would belong to him completely. It would be pure, without anything bad to spoil it.
28 So husbands should love their wives, just as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife shows that he loves himself. 29 There is nobody who hates his own body. Everyone feeds his body and he takes care of it. In the same way, the church is like Christ's body that he takes care of. 30 We are like the parts of Christ's body. 31 The Bible says this: ‘When a man marries, he leaves his father and his mother. Instead, God joins the man and his wife together. The two people become like one body.’ [ b ] 32 This is God's secret and it is difficult to understand. But I am saying that it teaches us about Christ and the church. 33 But each one of you husbands should understand this: love your own wife as you love yourself. And every wife among you must respect her husband.
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.
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.
5 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
5 ( A ) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and ( B ) walk in love, just as Christ also ( C ) loved [ a ] you and ( D ) gave Himself up for us, an ( E ) offering and a sacrifice to God [ b ] as a ( F ) fragrant aroma.
3 But ( G ) sexual immorality [ c ] or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among [ d ] saints; 4 and there must be no ( H ) filthiness [ e ] or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which ( I ) are not fitting, but rather ( J ) giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that ( K ) no sexually immoral or [ f ] impure or greedy person, which [ g ] amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom ( L ) of Christ and God.
6 ( M ) See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things ( N ) the wrath of God comes upon ( O ) the [ h ] sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become ( P ) partners with them; 8 for ( Q ) you were once ( R ) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as ( S ) children of light 9 (for ( T ) the fruit of the light consists in all ( U ) goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 [ i ] ( V ) as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 ( W ) Do not participate in the useless ( X ) deeds of ( Y ) darkness, but instead even ( Z ) expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible ( AA ) when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason [ j ] it says,
15 So then, [ k ] be careful how you ( AE ) walk, not ( AF ) as unwise people but as wise, 16 [ l ] ( AG ) making the most of your time, because ( AH ) the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but ( AI ) understand what the will of the Lord is . 18 And ( AJ ) do not get drunk with wine, [ m ] in which there is ( AK ) debauchery, but be ( AL ) filled with the Spirit, 19 ( AM ) speaking to [ n ] one another in ( AN ) psalms and ( AO ) hymns and spiritual ( AP ) songs, ( AQ ) singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; 20 ( AR ) always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our ( AS ) God and Father; 21 [ o ] ( AT ) and subject yourselves to one another in the [ p ] ( AU ) fear of Christ.
22 ( AV ) Wives, ( AW ) subject yourselves to your own husbands, ( AX ) as to the Lord. 23 For ( AY ) the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the ( AZ ) head of the church, He Himself ( BA ) being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
25 ( BB ) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ( BC ) gave Himself up for her, 26 ( BD ) so that He might sanctify her, having ( BE ) cleansed her by the ( BF ) washing of water with ( BG ) the word, 27 that He might ( BH ) present to Himself the church [ q ] in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be ( BI ) holy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to ( BJ ) love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are ( BK ) parts of His ( BL ) body. 31 ( BM ) 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 . 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to ( BN ) love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she ( BO ) respects her husband.
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.
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.
