New International Reader's Version NIRV
Wycliffe WYC
1 I am a prisoner because of the Lord. So I am asking you to live a life worthy of what God chose you for.
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Therefore I bound for the Lord beseech you, that ye walk worthily in the calling, in which ye be called,
2 Don't be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love.
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with all meekness and mildness, with patience supporting each other in charity [with patience supporting, or up-bearing, together in charity],
3 The Holy Spirit makes you one in every way. So try your best to remain as one. Let peace keep you together.
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busy to keep unity of Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body. There is one Spirit. You were appointed to one hope when you were chosen.
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One body and one Spirit, as ye be called in one hope of your calling;
5 There is one Lord. There is one faith and one baptism.
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one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 There is one God and Father of all. He is over everything. He is through everything. He is in everything.
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one God and Father of all, which is above all men, and by all things, and in us all.
7 But each one of us has received a gift of grace, just as Christ wanted us to have it.
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But to each of us grace is given by the measure of the giving of Christ [after the measure of the giving of Christ];
8 That is why Scripture says, "When he went up to his place on high, he led a line of prisoners. He gave gifts to people." (Psalm 68:18)
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for which thing he saith, He ascending on high, led captivity captive, he gave gifts to men.
9 What does "he went up" mean? It can only mean that he also came down to the lower, earthly places.
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But what is it, that he ascended up, no but that also he came down first into the lower parts of the earth? [Forsooth that he ascended, what is it, no but for he descended first into the lower parts of the earth?]
10 The One who came down is the same as the One who went up higher than all the heavens. He did it in order to fill all of creation.
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He it is that came down, and that ascended [up] on all heavens, that he should fill all things.
11 He is the One who gave some the gift to be apostles. He gave some the gift to be prophets. He gave some the gift of preaching the good news. And he gave some the gift to be pastors and teachers.
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And he gave some apostles, some prophets, others evangelists, others shepherds and teachers,
12 He did it so that they might prepare God's people to serve. If they do, the body of Christ will be built up.
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to the full ending of saints, into the work of ministry, into [the] edification of Christ's body,
13 That will continue until we all become one in the faith and in the knowledge of God's Son. Then we will be grown up in the faith. We will receive everything that Christ has for us.
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till we run all, into unity of faith and of knowing of God's Son, into a perfect man, after the measure of the age of the plenty of Christ; [till we run all, in unity of faith and of knowing of God's Son, into a perfect man, into the measure of age of the plenty of Christ;]
14 We will no longer be babies in the faith. We won't be like ships tossed around by the waves. We won't be blown here and there by every new teaching. We won't be blown around by the cleverness and tricks of people who try to hide their evil plans.
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that we be not now little children, moving as waves, and be not borne about with each wind of teaching [and be borne about with all wind of teaching], in the waywardness of men, in subtle wit, to the deceiving of error.
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love. We will grow up into Christ in every way. He is the Head.
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But do we truth in charity, and wax in him by all things, that is Christ our head; [Forsooth we doing truth in charity, wax in him by all things, that is Christ the head;]
16 He makes the whole body grow and build itself up in love. Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together.
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of whom all the body set together, and bound together by each jointure of under-serving, by working into the measure of each member [after working into the measure of each member], maketh increasing of the body, into [the] edification of itself in charity.
17 Here is what I'm telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live like those who aren't Jews. Their thoughts don't have any purpose.
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Therefore I say and witness this thing in the Lord [Therefore this thing I say, and witness in the Lord], that ye walk not now, as heathen men walk, in the vanity of their wit;
18 They can't understand the truth. They are separated from the life of God. That is because they don't know him. And they don't know him because their hearts are stubborn.
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that have understanding darkened with darknesses [having their understanding darkened], and be aliened from the life of God, by ignorance that is in them, for the blindness of their heart.
19 They have lost all feeling for what is right. They have given themselves over to the evil pleasures of their bodies. They take part in every kind of unclean act. And they always long for more.
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Which despairing betook themselves to unchastity, into the working of all uncleanness in covetousness.
20 But that is not what you have learned about Christ.
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But ye have not so learned Christ,
21 I'm sure you heard of him. I'm sure you were taught by him. What you learned was the truth about Jesus.
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if nevertheless ye heard him, and be taught in him, as is truth in Jesus.
22 You were taught not to live the way you used to. You must get rid of your old way of life. That's because it is polluted by longing for things that lead you down the wrong path.
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Do ye away by the old living the old man, that is corrupt by the desires of error; [Do ye away after the first living the old man, that is corrupt after the desires of error;]
23 You were taught to be made new in your thinking.
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and be ye renewed in the spirit of your soul; [+forsooth be ye renewed, or made new again, by the spirit of your mind;]
24 You were taught to start living a new life. It is created to be truly good and holy, just as God is.
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and clothe ye the new man, which is made after God in rightwiseness and holiness of truth. [and clothe ye the new man, which after God is made of nought in rightwiseness and holiness of truth.]
25 So each of you must get rid of your lying. Speak the truth to your neighbor. We are all parts of one body.
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For which thing put ye away lying, and speak ye truth each man with his neighbour, for we be members each to other. [For which thing putting away lying, speak truth each man with his neighbour, for we be members together.]
26 Scripture says, "When you are angry, do not sin."(Psalm 4:4) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.
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Be ye wroth, and do not do sin; the sun fall not down on your wrath [the sun fall not down upon your wrath].
27 Don't give the devil a chance.
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Do not ye give stead to the devil.
28 Those who have been stealing must never steal again. Instead, they must work. They must do something useful with their own hands. Then they will have something to give to people in need.
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He that stole, now steal he not; but more rather travail he in working with his hands that that is good, that he have whereof he shall give to the needy. [He that stole, now steal not; but more travail he in working with his hands that that is good thing, that he have whereof he shall give to a man suffering need.]
29 Don't let any evil talk come out of your mouths. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen.
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Each evil word go not out of your mouth; but if any is good to the edification of faith, that it give grace to men that hear [that it give grace to men hearing].
30 Do not make God's Holy Spirit sad. He marked you with a seal for the day when God will set you completely free.
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And do not ye make the Holy Ghost of God sorry [And do not ye make the Holy Ghost of God sorry, or heavy], in which ye be marked in the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred.
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All bitterness, and wrath, and indignation, and cry, and blasphemy be taken away from you, with all malice;
32 Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.
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and be ye together benign [forsooth be ye together benign, or of good will], merciful, forgiving together, as also God forgave to you in Christ.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.