King James Version KJV
New Living Translation NLT
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
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Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his 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.
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Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
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Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
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Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.
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.
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You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
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Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
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Don’t participate in the things these people do.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
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For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
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For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
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Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
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Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
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It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
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But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
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for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
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So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
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Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
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Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
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Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
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singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
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And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
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And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
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For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to 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.
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For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
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As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
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For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
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to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s 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.
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He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
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In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
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No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
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And we are members of his body.
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.
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As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
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This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.
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.
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So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.