Ephesians 3:16-6

English Standard Version

¹⁶ that according to ^(A)the riches of his glory ^(B)he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit ^(C)in your inner being, ^17 (D)so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being ^(E)rooted and ^(F)grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to ^(G)comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and ^(H)height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ ^(I)that surpasses knowledge, that ^(J)you may be filled with all ^(K)the fullness of God.

^20 (L)Now to ^(M)him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, ^(N)according to the power at work within us, ^21 (O)to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Unity in the Body of Christ

4 I therefore, ^(P)a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to ^(Q)walk in a manner worthy of ^(R)the calling to which you have been called, ² with all ^(S)humility and ^(T)gentleness, with ^(U)patience, ^(V)bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in ^(W)the bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(X)one body and ^(Y)one Spirit—just as you were called to the one ^(Z)hope that belongs to your call— ^5 (AA)one Lord, ^(AB)one faith, ^(AC)one baptism, ^6 (AD)one God and Father of all, ^(AE)who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷ But ^(AF)grace was given ^(AG)to each one of us ^(AH)according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

⁹ (^(AK)In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into ^(AL)the lower regions, the earth?^{[b] 10} He who descended is the one who also ^(AM)ascended ^(AN)far above all the heavens, that he might ^(AO)fill all things.) ¹¹ And ^(AP)he gave the ^(AQ)apostles, the prophets, the ^(AR)evangelists, the ^(AS)shepherds^[c] and teachers,^{[d] 12 (AT)}to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for ^(AU)building up ^(AV)the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to ^(AW)the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, ^(AX)to mature manhood,^[e] to the measure of the stature of ^(AY)the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, ^(AZ)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in ^(BA)deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, ^(BB)speaking the truth in love, we are to ^(BC)grow up in every way into him who is ^(BD)the head, into Christ, ^16 (BE)from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, ^(BF)when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The New Life

¹⁷ Now this I say and ^(BG)testify in the Lord, ^(BH)that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, ^(BI)in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They ^(BJ)are darkened in their understanding, ^(BK)alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to ^(BL)their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They ^(BM)have become callous and ^(BN)have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰ But that is not the way you ^(BO)learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that ^(BP)you have heard about him and ^(BQ)were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to ^(BR)put off ^(BS)your old self,^[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through ^(BT)deceitful desires, ²³ and ^(BU)to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on ^(BV)the new self, ^(BW)created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you ^(BX)speak the truth with his neighbor, for ^(BY)we are members one of another. ^26 (BZ)Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and ^(CA)give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather ^(CB)let him labor, ^(CC)doing honest work with his own hands, so ^(CD)that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ^29 (CE)Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give ^(CF)grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And ^(CG)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^(CH)by whom you were sealed for the day of ^(CI)redemption. ^31 (CJ)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ^32 (CK)Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(CL)forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Walk in Love

5 ^(CM)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And ^(CN)walk in love, ^(CO)as Christ loved us and ^(CP)gave himself up for us, a ^(CQ)fragrant ^(CR)offering and sacrifice to God.

³ But ^(CS)sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness ^(CT)must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be ^(CU)no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, ^(CV)which are out of place, but instead ^(CW)let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you may be sure of this, that ^(CX)everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (^(CY)that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ^6 (CZ)Let no one ^(DA)deceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^(DB)the wrath of God comes upon ^(DC)the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore ^(DD)do not become partners with them; ⁸ for ^(DE)at one time you were ^(DF)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. ^(DG)Walk as children of light ⁹ (for ^(DH)the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and ^(DI)try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ^11 (DJ)Take no part in the ^(DK)unfruitful ^(DL)works of darkness, but instead ^(DM)expose them. ¹² For ^(DN)it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when ^(DO)anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

^15 (DS)Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ^16 (DT)making the best use of the time, because ^(DU)the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what ^(DV)the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And ^(DW)do not get drunk with wine, for that is ^(DX)debauchery, but ^(DY)be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in ^(DZ)psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ^20 (EA)giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ^(EB)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (EC)submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

^22 (ED)Wives, ^(EE)submit to your own husbands, ^(EF)as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(EG)the husband is the head of the wife even as ^(EH)Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is ^(EI)himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit ^(EJ)in everything to their husbands.

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

Children and Parents

6 ^(EW)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2 (EX)“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” ⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, ^(EY)but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

^5 (EZ)Bondservants,^[h] obey your earthly masters^[i] with fear and trembling, ^(FA)with a sincere heart, ^(FB)as you would Christ, ⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as ^(FC)people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, ^8 (FD)knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, ^(FE)whether he is a bondservant or is free. ⁹ Masters, do the same to them, ^(FF)and stop your threatening, knowing that ^(FG)he who is both their Master^[j] and yours is in heaven, and that ^(FH)there is no partiality with him.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(FI)be strong in the Lord and in ^(FJ)the strength of his might. ^11 (FK)Put on ^(FL)the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ^(FM)the schemes of the devil. ¹² For ^(FN)we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(FO)the rulers, against the authorities, against ^(FP)the cosmic powers over ^(FQ)this present darkness, against ^(FR)the spiritual forces of evil ^(FS)in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore ^(FT)take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in ^(FU)the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, ^(FV)having fastened on the belt of truth, and ^(FW)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, ^(FX)as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up ^(FY)the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all ^(FZ)the flaming darts of ^(GA)the evil one;