New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,
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Let it then be your desire to be like God, as well-loved children;
2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
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And be living in love, even as Christ had love for you, and gave himself up for us, an offering to God for a perfume of a sweet smell.
3 But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints.
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But evil acts of the flesh and all unclean things, or desire for others' property, let it not even be named among you, as is right for saints;
4 Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving.
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And let there be no low behaviour, or foolish talk, or words said in sport, which are not right, but in place of them the giving of praise.
5 Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
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Being certain of this, that no man who gives way to the passions of the flesh, no unclean person, or one who has desire for the property of others, or who gives worship to images, has any heritage in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient.
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Do not be turned from the right way by foolish words; for because of these things the punishment of God comes on those who do not put themselves under him.
7 Therefore do not be associated with them.
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Have no part with such men;
8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—
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For you at one time were dark, but now are light in the Lord: let your behaviour be that of children of light
9 for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.
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(Because the fruit of the light is in all righteousness and in everything which is good and true),
10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.
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Testing by experience what is well-pleasing to the Lord;
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
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And have no company with the works of the dark, which give no fruit, but make their true quality clear;
12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly;
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For the things which are done by them in secret it is shame even to put into words.
13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
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But all things, when their true quality is seen, are made clear by the light: because everything which is made clear is light.
14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
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For this reason he says, Be awake, you who are sleeping, and come up from among the dead, and Christ will be your light.
15 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise,
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Take care then how you are living, not as unwise, but as wise;
16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
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Making good use of the time, because the days are evil.
17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
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For this reason, then, do not be foolish, but be conscious of the Lord's pleasure.
18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
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And do not take overmuch wine by which one may be overcome, but be full of the Spirit;
19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts,
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Joining with one another in holy songs of praise and of the Spirit, using your voice in songs and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Giving praise at all times for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father;
21 Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
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Letting yourselves be ruled by one another in the fear of Christ.
22 Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord.
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Wives, be under the authority of your husbands, as of the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior.
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For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.
24 Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands.
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And as the church is under Christ's authority, so let wives be under the rule of their husbands in all things.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
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Husbands, have love for your wives, even as Christ had love for the church, and gave himself for it;
26 in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word,
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So that he might make it holy, having made it clean with the washing of water by the word,
27 so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.
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And might take it for himself, a church full of glory, not having one mark or fold or any such thing; but that it might be holy and complete.
28 In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
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Even so it is right for husbands to have love for their wives as for their bodies. He who has love for his wife has love for himself:
29 For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church,
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For no man ever had hate for his flesh; but he gives it food and takes care of it, even as Christ does for the church;
30 because we are members of his body.
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Because we are parts of his body.
31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
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For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church.
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This is a great secret: but my words are about Christ and the church.
33 Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband.
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But do you, everyone, have love for his wife, even as for himself; and let the wife see that she has respect for her husband.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.