Ephesians 5:15–6:9
CONSISTENCY IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—16 making the most of the time,A,e because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understandf what the Lord’s willg is. 18 And don’t get drunkh with wine,i which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:j 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.k
22 Wives,l submitB,m to your husbandsn as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wifeo as Christ is the headp of the church. He is the Savior of the body.q 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives,r just as Christ loveds the church and gave himselft for her 26 to make her holy, cleansingC her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.u 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of his body.D 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,v and the two will become one flesh.E,w 32 This mysteryx is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.
6 Children, obeyy your parents in the Lord, because this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3 so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.F,G,z 4 Fathers, don’t stir up angeraa in your children, but bring them up in the trainingab and instruction of the Lord.
5 Slaves, obey your humanH mastersac with fear and trembling,ad in the sincerityae of your heart, as you would Christ. 6 Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s willaf from your heart. 7 Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people,ag 8 knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. 9 And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threateningah them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritismai with him.aj