Ephesians 5–6

Chapter 5

¹Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children, ²and walk in love, even as the Christ loved us, and delivered himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.

³But fornication and all uncleanness or unbridled lust, let it not be even named among you, as it becomes saints; ⁴and filthiness and foolish talking, or jesting, which are not convenient; but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For this ye are well informed of, knowing that no fornicator, or unclean person, or person of unbridled lust, who is an idolater, has inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with vain words, for on account of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷Be not ye therefore fellow-partakers with them; ⁸for ye were once darkness, but now light in the Lord; walk as children of light, ⁹(for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,) ¹⁰proving what is agreeable to the Lord; ¹¹and do not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather also reprove them, ¹²for the things that are done by them in secret it is shameful even to say. ¹³But all things having their true character exposed by the light are made manifest; for that which makes everything manifest is light. ¹⁴Wherefore he says, Wake up, thou that sleepest, and arise up from among the dead, and the Christ shall shine upon thee. ¹⁵See therefore how ye walk carefully, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷For this reason be not foolish, but understanding what is the will of the Lord. ¹⁸And be not drunk with wine, in which is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and chanting with your heart to the Lord; ²⁰giving thanks at all times for all things to him who is God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

²¹submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ. ²²Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord, ²³for a husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the assembly. He is Saviour of the body. ²⁴But even as the assembly is subjected to the Christ, so also wives to their own husbands in everything. ²⁵Husbands, love your own wives, even as the Christ also loved the assembly, and has delivered himself up for it, ²⁶in order that he might sanctify it, purifying it by the washing of water by the word, ²⁷that he might present the assembly to himself glorious, having no spot, or wrinkle, or any of such things; but that it might be holy and blameless. ²⁸So ought men also to love their own wives as their own bodies: he that loves his own wife loves himself. ²⁹For no one has ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as also the Christ the assembly: ³⁰for we are members of his body; we are of his flesh, and of his bones. ³¹Because of this a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be united to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. ³²This mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly. ³³But ye also, every one of you, let each so love his own wife as himself; but as to the wife I speak that she may fear the husband.

Chapter 6

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is just. ²Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, ³that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest be long-lived on the earth. ⁴And ye fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. ⁵Bondmen, obey masters according to flesh, with fear and trembling, in simplicity of your heart as to the Christ; ⁶not with eye-service as men-pleasers; but as bondmen of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul, ⁷serving with good will as to the Lord, and not to men; ⁸knowing that whatever good each shall do, this he shall receive of the Lord, whether bond or free. ⁹And, masters, do the same things towards them, giving up threatening, knowing that both their and your Master is in heaven, and there is no acceptance of persons with him.

¹⁰For the rest, brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the might of his strength. ¹¹Put on the panoply of God, that ye may be able to stand against the artifices of the devil: ¹²because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against principalities, against authorities, against the universal lords of this darkness, against spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies. ¹³For this reason take to you the panoply of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having accomplished all things, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having girt about your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and shod your feet with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace: ¹⁶besides all these, having taken the shield of faith with which ye will be able to quench all the inflamed darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷Have also the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word; ¹⁸praying at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching unto this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints;

¹⁹and for me in order that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the glad tidings, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador bound with a chain, that I may be bold in it as I ought to speak. ²¹But in order that ye also may know what concerns me, how I am getting on, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make all things known to you; ²²whom I have sent to you for this very thing, that ye may know of our affairs and that he may encourage your hearts. ²³Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Grace with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption.