Ephesians 5

Worldwide English (New Testament)

5 So try to be like God, because you are his own dear children.

² Love others as Christ has loved us. He gave his life for us, a sweet smelling offering and a sacrifice to God.

³ As God's people, you should not even talk about wrong living, any kind of wrong sex or wanting things you cannot have.

⁴ There should be no dirty talk, no foolish talk, no funny stories with a wrong meaning. This is not a good way to talk. But what you should do is thank God.

⁵ You know this. There are people who use sex wrongly, and who are always wanting what others have. No such a person has any place in the kingdom of Christ and of God. He is worshipping an idol.

⁶ Do not let anyone fool you by their empty talk. It is because people do these wrong things that God is very angry. He is angry with the people who do not obey him.

⁷ So then, have nothing to do with them.

⁸ You were in the dark before, but now the Lord has given you light. Live like people who have the light.

⁹ People who have the light do all that is good and right and true.

¹⁰ Learn what pleases the Lord.

¹¹ Have no part in the empty things people do in the dark. Show them that they are wrong.

¹² It is a shame even to talk about the things they do in secret.

¹³ But when the light shines on something, it can be seen. Anything that shows up wrong ways is light.

¹⁴ So it is said, `Wake up, you who are asleep! Rise from death. And Christ will give you light.'

¹⁵ Take care how you live. Do not live like people who are not wise, but live like people who are wise.

¹⁶ Make good use of time because people live in very wrong ways these days.

¹⁷ So then, be wise and understand what the Lord wants.

¹⁸ Do not get drunk with wine. That is living in a wrong way. But be filled with the Spirit.

¹⁹ Speak to one another by the songs in the holy writings, and songs of praise, and Christian songs. Sing and make a joyful noise in your hearts to the Lord.

²⁰ Always thank God the Father for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²¹ Give way to each other because you respect Christ.

²² Wives, obey your husbands as you obey the Lord.

²³ The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church people. The church is his body and he saved it.

²⁴ Wives should obey their husbands in everything, just as the church people obey Christ.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church people. He gave his life for the church.

²⁶ He did that so that he might make the church people holy, when they were washed with water by God's word.

²⁷ He gave his life for the church so that one day he can look at the church and see that the people are great and wonderful. The people of the church must have no dirty spot or wrinkle or any thing like that. But they are to be holy and good.

²⁸ So husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself.

²⁹ No one ever hated his own body. But he feeds it and takes care of it.

³⁰ In the same way Christ takes care of the church because we are parts of his body.

³¹ The holy writings say `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother. He shall be joined to his wife, and the two of them shall be like one person.'

³² This is a wonderful plan of God. I am speaking here of the plan about Christ and the church people.

³³ However, each one of you should love his wife as he loves himself. And the wife should respect her husband.