Ephesians 5 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

5 You are God’s dear children, so try to be like him. 2 Live a life of love. Love others just as Christ loved us. He gave himself for us—a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

3 But there must be no sexual sin among you. There must not be any kind of evil or selfishly wanting more and more, because such things are not right for God’s holy people. 4 Also, there must be no evil talk among you. Don’t say things that are foolish or filthy. These are not for you. But you should be giving thanks to God. 5 You can be sure of this: No one will have a place in the kingdom of Christ and of God if that person commits sexual sins, or does evil things, or is a person who selfishly wants more and more. A greedy person like that is serving a false god.

6 Don’t let anyone fool you with words that are not true. God gets very angry when people who don’t obey him talk like that. 7 So don’t have anything to do with them. 8 In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light. 9 This light produces every kind of goodness, right living, and truth. 10 Try to learn what pleases the Lord. 11 Have no part in the things that people in darkness do, which produce nothing good. Instead, tell everyone how wrong those things are. 12 Actually, it is shameful to even talk about the things those people do in secret. 13 But the light makes clear how wrong those things are. 14 Yes, everything is made clear by the light. This is why we say,

“Wake up, you who are sleeping!
Rise from death,
and Christ will shine on you.”

15 So be very careful how you live. Live wisely, not like fools. 16 I mean that you should use every opportunity you have for doing good, because these are evil times. 17 So don’t be foolish with your lives, but learn what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, which will ruin your life, but be filled with the Spirit. 19 Encourage each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. 20 Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wives and Husbands

21 Be willing to serve each other out of respect for Christ.

22 Wives, be willing to serve your husbands the same as the Lord. 23 A husband is the head of his wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. Christ is the Savior of the church, which is his body. 24 The church serves under Christ, so it is the same with you wives. You should be willing to serve your husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives the same as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. 26 He died to make the church holy. He used the telling of the Good News to make the church clean by washing it with water. 27 Christ died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty. He died so that the church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it.

28 And husbands should love their wives like that. They should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself, 29 because no one ever hates his own body, but feeds and takes care of it. And that is what Christ does for the church 30 because we are parts of his body. 31 The Scriptures say, “That is why a man will leave his father and mother and join his wife, and the two people will become one.”[a] 32 That secret truth is very important—I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 But each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:31 Quote from Gen. 2:24.

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Ephesians 5 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

5 Become, then, followers of God, as children beloved, 2 and walk in love, as also the Christ did love us, and did give himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odour of a sweet smell, 3 and whoredom, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becom...
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Ephesians 5 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

5 Therefore be ye followers of God, as most dear-worthy sons; 2 and walk ye in love, as [and] Christ loved us, and gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God, into the odour of sweetness. 3 And fornication, and all uncleanness, or avarice, be not named among you, as it becometh holy me...
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Ephesians 5 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

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 ...
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Ephesians 5 - World English Bible (WEB)

5 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance. 3 But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as ...
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Ephesians 5 - The Voice (VOICE)

We come to God as sinners; but He wants to transform our habits, attitudes, and practices into the ways of Jesus: to live, forgive, and love as He did.5 So imitate God. Follow Him like adored children, 2 and live in love as the Anointed One loved you—so much that He gave Himself as a fragrant sacri...
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Ephesians 5 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Walk in the Light5 Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Messiah also loved us[a] and gave Himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant aroma. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed—don’t even let these be mentioned ...
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Ephesians 5 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Renounce Pagan Ways3 But immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. 4 Le...
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Ephesians 5 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Renounce Pagan Ways3 But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. 4 L...
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Ephesians 5 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, just as Christ has loved us and has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savor to God. 3 But do not let fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness even be named among you (as is also be...
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Ephesians 5 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

5 So you should be imitators of God, like dear children. 2 Conduct yourselves in love, just as the Messiah loved us, and gave himself for us, as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God. Darkness and Light in Matters of Sex3 As for fornication, uncleanness of any kind, or greed: you shouldn’t...
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Ephesians 5 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

5 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us[a] and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Renounce Pagan Ways3 But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among ...
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Ephesians 5 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

5 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,(A)2 and walk in love, as Christ loved us[a] and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.(B)Renounce Pagan Ways3 But sexual immorality and impurity of any kind or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper ...
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Ephesians 5 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

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Ephesians 5 - New Living Translation (NLT)

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