Ephesians 4:17–32

LIVING THE NEW LIFE

¹⁷Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because^C of the hardness of their hearts. ¹⁹They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity^t with a desire for more and more.^D

²⁰But that is not how you came to know Christ, ²¹assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth^u is in Jesus, ²²to take off^Ev your former way of life,^w the old self^x that is corrupted by deceitful desires, ²³to be renewed^F in the spirit^y of your minds, ²⁴and to put on^Gz the new self, the one created^aa according to God’s likeness^ab in righteousness and purity of the truth.

²⁵Therefore, putting away^ac lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor,^Had because we are members of one another. ²⁶Be angry and do not sin.^Iae Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷and don’t give the devil an opportunity. ²⁸Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share^af with anyone in need. ²⁹No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need,^J so that it gives grace to those who hear. ³⁰And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit.^ag You were sealed by him^K for the day of redemption.^{ah 31}Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. ³²And be kind^ai and compassionate^aj to one another, forgiving^ak one another, just as God also forgave you^L in Christ.