3Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Put Off the Old Behavior

⁵Therefore put to death what is earthly in you^a: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustful passion, evil desire, and greediness, which is idolatry, ⁶because of which the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷in which also you once lived, when you used to live in them.^b ⁸But now you also lay aside all these things: anger, rage, wickedness, slander, abusive language from your mouth. ⁹Do not lie to one another, because you^* have taken off the old man together with his deeds, ¹⁰and have put on the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created him, ¹¹where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all, and in all.

Appeal for New Behavior

¹²Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and dearly loved, put on affection, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, ¹³putting up with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone should have a complaint against anyone, just as also the Lord forgave you, thus also you do the same. ¹⁴And to all these things add love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵And the peace of Christ must rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God, ¹⁷and everything whatever^c you do in word or in deed, giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus to God the Father through him.

Mutual Responsibilities in Christian Relationships

¹⁸Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. ²⁰Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord. ²¹Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they will not become discouraged. ²²Slaves, obey your human^d masters in everything, not while being watched^e, as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³Whatever you do, accomplish it from the soul, as to the Lord, and not to people, ²⁴because you^* know that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve^f the Lord Christ. ²⁵For the one who does wrong will receive back whatever wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

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Footnotes

aLiterally “the members on the earth”
bOr “among them” (the pronoun may refer either to people or to sins)
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have taken off”) which is understood as causal
cLiterally “if anything that”
dLiterally “according to the flesh”
eLiterally “with eye-service”
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
fOr “You serve”; the same Greek verb form can be understood as either imperative (“serve”) or indicative (“you serve”), so that commentators and Bible translations differ