Ephesians 4:17–32

The Old Life and the New

¹⁷Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer walk as the^l gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds;^{* 18}they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart.^{* 19}They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰That is not the way you learned Christ! ²¹For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, ²²to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts,^{* 23}and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.^*

Rules for the New Life

²⁵So then, putting away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with your neighbor, for we are members of one another.^{* 26}Be angry but do not sin;^m do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷and do not make room for the devil. ²⁸Those who steal must give up stealing; rather, let them labor, doing good work with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. ²⁹Let no evil talk come out of your mouths but only what is good for building up,ⁿ as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.^{* 31}Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice.^{* 32}Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.^o*