Ephesians 4-6

Worldwide English (New Testament)

4 I am a prisoner who belongs to the Lord. I beg you, live the way people should live who have been called by God.

² Do not be proud at all. Be very humble. Love one another and be patient with each other.

³ The Spirit has made you all one. Try to stay like that. May you be at peace with one another.

⁴ There is one body of Christ and one Spirit. When God called you, there was one hope before you in your calling.

⁵ There is one Lord, one way to believe, and one baptism.

⁶ There is one God and Father of us all. He is over all. He works through all. And he is living in us all.

⁷ But each one of us has received a blessing, whatever amount Christ has given to each one.

⁸ So then, the holy writings say, `When Christ went up to heaven he took those he had won with him. And he gave gifts to men.'

⁹ Now, what does `he went up' mean? Does it not mean that he also came down to the earth below?

¹⁰ The one who came down is the same one who went up higher than all the heavens. He did this so that he would be everywhere.

¹¹ The gifts he gave are these: some are to be apostles; some prophets; some evangelists; some pastors and teachers.

¹² These gifts are to make God's people better able to do their work for him and to make the body of Christ become stronger.

¹³ The gifts are given so that we will all believe the one way and all know the Son of God. They are given so that we will be really grown-up Christians, like Christ himself.

¹⁴ The body of Christ must grow so that we will no longer be like children. We are like children when we are pushed this way and that way. We change our minds every time people bring a different teaching. Some teachers teach the lies of men and fool people so that they believe wrong things.

¹⁵ We must say what is true and say it with love. In that way we will grow up in all things to be like Christ, who is the head of this body.

¹⁶ The whole body is joined and held together by every joint that it has. It is from Christ that the whole body grows as each different part does its work. It grows so that it becomes stronger in love.

¹⁷ Here then is what the Lord has told me to say. You must not live like the people who do not believe in God. They do not think clearly.

¹⁸ Their minds are dark. They are far away from God's life because they do not know the truth. They have no love in their hearts.

¹⁹ Nothing makes them ashamed anymore. They live a very bad life. They do every kind of wrong thing. And they always want to do it more.

²⁰ That is not what you have learned from Christ!

²¹ You were taught by him, and Jesus has the truth!

²² Stop being the person you used to be in your old life. That person was bad because he wanted to do wrong things.

²³ Have a new mind and heart.

²⁴ Be a new person. That new person has been made like God. He does what is right and holy because he knows the truth.

²⁵ So stop telling lies. Tell the truth to each other. We all are parts of the same body.

²⁶ When you are angry, do not do anything wrong. And do not stay angry after the sun goes down.

²⁷ Do not let the devil control you.

²⁸ The person who used to steal must not steal now. But he must do some good work with his own hands. Then he will have something to give to the poor people.

²⁹ Do not let any bad words come out of your mouth. But say good things that will help people. Then those who hear you will also be blessed by what you say.

³⁰ Do nothing that makes the Holy Spirit feel sad. He is the mark God has put on you until the day you will belong to God altogether.

³¹ You must stop all hate, big and small anger, loud talk, saying wrong things about people, and all wanting to do wrong things to people.

³² Be kind to one another. Have a loving and understanding heart. Forgive one another because God has forgiven you for Christ's sake.

5 So try to be like God, because you are his own dear children.

² Love others as Christ has loved us. He gave his life for us, a sweet smelling offering and a sacrifice to God.

³ As God's people, you should not even talk about wrong living, any kind of wrong sex or wanting things you cannot have.

⁴ There should be no dirty talk, no foolish talk, no funny stories with a wrong meaning. This is not a good way to talk. But what you should do is thank God.

⁵ You know this. There are people who use sex wrongly, and who are always wanting what others have. No such a person has any place in the kingdom of Christ and of God. He is worshipping an idol.

⁶ Do not let anyone fool you by their empty talk. It is because people do these wrong things that God is very angry. He is angry with the people who do not obey him.

⁷ So then, have nothing to do with them.

⁸ You were in the dark before, but now the Lord has given you light. Live like people who have the light.

⁹ People who have the light do all that is good and right and true.

¹⁰ Learn what pleases the Lord.

¹¹ Have no part in the empty things people do in the dark. Show them that they are wrong.

¹² It is a shame even to talk about the things they do in secret.

¹³ But when the light shines on something, it can be seen. Anything that shows up wrong ways is light.

¹⁴ So it is said, `Wake up, you who are asleep! Rise from death. And Christ will give you light.'

¹⁵ Take care how you live. Do not live like people who are not wise, but live like people who are wise.

¹⁶ Make good use of time because people live in very wrong ways these days.

¹⁷ So then, be wise and understand what the Lord wants.

¹⁸ Do not get drunk with wine. That is living in a wrong way. But be filled with the Spirit.

¹⁹ Speak to one another by the songs in the holy writings, and songs of praise, and Christian songs. Sing and make a joyful noise in your hearts to the Lord.

²⁰ Always thank God the Father for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²¹ Give way to each other because you respect Christ.

²² Wives, obey your husbands as you obey the Lord.

²³ The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church people. The church is his body and he saved it.

²⁴ Wives should obey their husbands in everything, just as the church people obey Christ.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church people. He gave his life for the church.

²⁶ He did that so that he might make the church people holy, when they were washed with water by God's word.

²⁷ He gave his life for the church so that one day he can look at the church and see that the people are great and wonderful. The people of the church must have no dirty spot or wrinkle or any thing like that. But they are to be holy and good.

²⁸ So husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself.

²⁹ No one ever hated his own body. But he feeds it and takes care of it.

³⁰ In the same way Christ takes care of the church because we are parts of his body.

³¹ The holy writings say `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother. He shall be joined to his wife, and the two of them shall be like one person.'

³² This is a wonderful plan of God. I am speaking here of the plan about Christ and the church people.

³³ However, each one of you should love his wife as he loves himself. And the wife should respect her husband.

6 Children, obey your parents as the Lord wants you to. This is the right thing to do. 2,

² `Respect your father and mother.' This is the first law of God with a promise: `So that all will be well with you, and that you may live long on earth.'

³ Fathers, do not make your children angry. But teach them the things children need to know, and tell them what they must not do. Teach them what Christ would teach them.

⁴ Servants, obey your boss. Respect him with all your heart and try to please him as you would Christ.

⁵ Obey not only when he is looking at you, as if you were pleasing a man. But obey as the servants of Christ, and do with all your heart what God wants you to do.

⁶ Work gladly as if you were working for the Lord and not for men.

⁷ You know that the Lord will pay every man for the good things he does. It does not matter if he is a servant or a free man.

⁸ And you who are bosses, be good to your servants also. Do not talk loud, hard words to them. Remember that both their Lord and yours is in heaven. He does not love one person more than another.

⁹ Last of all, I say this. Be strong in the Lord and use the strength he gives.

¹⁰ Use everything that God has given you so that you can fight against the tricks of the devil.

¹¹ We are not fighting against people of flesh and blood. But we are fighting against rulers and powers whom we cannot see. We are fighting against those who control the darkness of this world, and against bad spirits who have power in the air.

¹² So use everything that God has given you, that you can fight when the bad time comes. You will need to do everything you can do to stand!

¹³ So then, stand and hold on tight to the truth like you put on a belt. Do what is right. Wear it as a cover for your body.

¹⁴ You have the good news of peace. Wear that like shoes on your feet.

¹⁵ You believe in God. Take that and cover all of yourself with it. With that you can stop all the poison arrows of the devil.

¹⁶ You have been saved. Wear your salvation like you wear something on your head to protect yourself. And take with you the big knife or sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁷ Always talk to God in the Spirit. Talk to him about everything and ask him for what you need. Put your mind on what you are saying, asking God to help all his people.

¹⁸ And also, ask God to help me to talk without fear and tell people God's plan about the good news.

¹⁹ I am in prison with chains on because I speak the good news about Jesus Christ. Ask God to help me to tell the good news without fear as I should tell it.

²⁰ Tychicus will tell you all about me and what I am doing. He is a brother whom I love and a very good helper in the Lord's work.

²¹ I am sending him to you so that you will know about us, and so that he may comfort your hearts.

²² May God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, give our brothers peace and love with faith.

²³ May the kindness of God bless all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.