Ephesians 5

English Standard Version

Walk in Love

5 ^(A)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ²And ^(B)walk in love, ^(C)as Christ loved us and ^(D)gave himself up for us, a ^(E)fragrant ^(F)offering and sacrifice to God.

³But ^(G)sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness ^(H)must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴Let there be ^(I)no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, ^(J)which are out of place, but instead ^(K)let there be thanksgiving. ⁵For you may be sure of this, that ^(L)everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (^(M)that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶^(N)Let no one ^(O)deceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^(P)the wrath of God comes upon ^(Q)the sons of disobedience. ⁷Therefore ^(R)do not become partners with them; ⁸for ^(S)at one time you were ^(T)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. ^(U)Walk as children of light ⁹(for ^(V)the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰and ^(W)try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹^(X)Take no part in the ^(Y)unfruitful ^(Z)works of darkness, but instead ^(AA)expose them. ¹²For ^(AB)it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³But when ^(AC)anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

^(AD)“Awake, O sleeper,
and ^(AE)arise from the dead,
and ^(AF)Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵^(AG)Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶^(AH)making the best use of the time, because ^(AI)the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what ^(AJ)the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸And ^(AK)do not get drunk with wine, for that is ^(AL)debauchery, but ^(AM)be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹addressing one another in ^(AN)psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰^(AO)giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ^(AP)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹^(AQ)submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

²²^(AR)Wives, ^(AS)submit to your own husbands, ^(AT)as to the Lord. ²³For ^(AU)the husband is the head of the wife even as ^(AV)Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is ^(AW)himself its Savior. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit ^(AX)in everything to their husbands.

²⁵^(AY)Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and ^(AZ)gave himself up for her, ²⁶that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ^(BA)the washing of water ^(BB)with the word, ²⁷so ^(BC)that he might present the church to himself in splendor, ^(BD)without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.^[a] ²⁸In the same way ^(BE)husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰because ^(BF)we are members of his body. ³¹^(BG)“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and ^(BH)the two shall become one flesh.” ³²This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³However, ^(BI)let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^(BJ)respects her husband.