Common English Bible CEB
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children.
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Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
2 Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God.
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And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 Sexual immorality, and any kind of impurity or greed, shouldn't even be mentioned among you, which is right for holy persons.
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But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints.
4 Obscene language, silly talk, or vulgar jokes aren't acceptable for believers. Instead, there should be thanksgiving.
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Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving.
5 Because you know for sure that persons who are sexually immoral, impure, or greedy—which happens when things become gods—those persons won't inherit the kingdom of Christ and God.
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Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Nobody should deceive you with stupid ideas. God's anger comes down on those who are disobedient because of this kind of thing.
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Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 So you shouldn't have anything to do with them.
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Therefore do not associate with them,
8 You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so live your life as children of light.
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for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light
9 Light produces fruit that consists of every sort of goodness, justice, and truth.
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(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
10 Therefore, test everything to see what's pleasing to the Lord,
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and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 and don't participate in the unfruitful actions of darkness. Instead, you should reveal the truth about them.
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Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
12 It's embarrassing to even talk about what certain persons do in secret.
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For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret;
13 But everything exposed to the light is revealed by the light.
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but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.
14 Everything that is revealed by the light is light. Therefore, it says, Wake up, sleeper!Get up from the dead,and Christ will shine on you.
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Therefore it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light."
15 So be careful to live your life wisely, not foolishly.
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Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16 Take advantage of every opportunity because these are evil times.
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making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
17 Because of this, don't be ignorant, but understand the Lord's will.
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Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 Don't get drunk on wine, which produces depravity. Instead, be filled with the Spirit in the following ways:
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And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts;
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addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,
20 always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
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always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
21 and submit to each other out of respect for Christ.
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Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 For example, wives should submit to their husbands as if to the Lord.
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Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord.
23 A husband is the head of his wife like Christ is head of the church, that is, the savior of the body.
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For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
24 So wives submit to their husbands in everything like the church submits to Christ.
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As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.
25 As for husbands, love your wives just like Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.
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Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
26 He did this to make her holy by washing her in a bath of water with the word.
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that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 He did this to present himself with a splendid church, one without any sort of stain or wrinkle on her clothes, but rather one that is holy and blameless.
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that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
28 That's how husbands ought to love their wives—in the same way as they do their own bodies. Anyone who loves his wife loves himself.
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Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 No one ever hates his own body, but feeds it and takes care of it just like Christ does for the church
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For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church,
30 because we are parts of his body.
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because we are members of his body.
31 This is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two of them will be one body.
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"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 Marriage is a significant allegory, and I'm applying it to Christ and the church.
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This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church;
33 In any case, as for you individually, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and wives should respect their husbands.
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however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.