Ephesians 5 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. 2 And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us,(A) a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3 But sexual immorality(B) and any impurity(C) or greed(D) should not even be heard of[a] among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral(E) or impure(F) or greedy(G) person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom(H) of the Messiah and of God.

Light versus Darkness

6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath(I) is coming on the disobedient because of these things.[b] 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light(J) in the Lord. Walk as children of light(K)— 9 for the fruit of the light[c] results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth(L)— 10 discerning(M) what is pleasing(N) to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless(O) works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made clear,(P) 14 for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:

Get up, sleeper,(Q) and rise up from the dead,(R)
and the Messiah will shine on you.[d](S)

Consistency in the Christian Life

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time,[e](T) because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand(U) what the Lord’s will(V) is. 18 And don’t get drunk(W) with wine,(X) which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit:(Y)

19 speaking to one another
in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,
singing and making music
from your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for everything
to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another
in the fear of Christ.(Z)

Wives and Husbands

22 Wives,(AA) submit[f](AB) to your own husbands(AC) as to the Lord, 23 for the husband is the head of the wife(AD) as Christ is the head(AE) of the church. He is the Savior of the body.(AF) 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives,(AG) just as Christ loved(AH) the church and gave Himself(AI) for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[g] her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.(AJ) 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of His body.[h]

31 For this reason a man will leave
his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,(AK)
and the two will become one flesh.(AL)[i]

32 This mystery(AM) is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:3 Or be named
  2. Ephesians 5:6 Lit sons of disobedience
  3. Ephesians 5:9 Other mss read fruit of the Spirit
  4. Ephesians 5:14 This poem may have been an early Christian hymn based on several passages in Isaiah; Is 9:2; 26:19; 40:1; 51:17; 52:1; 60:1.
  5. Ephesians 5:16 Lit buying back the time
  6. Ephesians 5:22 Other mss omit submit
  7. Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
  8. Ephesians 5:30 Other mss add and of His flesh and of His bones
  9. Ephesians 5:31 Gn 2:24

Cross references

  1. 5:2 : 2Th 2:13; Ti 2:14
  2. 5:3 : 1Th 4:3
  3. 5:3 : 1Th 4:7
  4. 5:3 : Lk 12:15; Rm 1:29; Eph 4:19; Col 3:5; 1Th 2:5; 2Pt 2:3, 14
  5. 5:5 : 1Co 5:9
  6. 5:5 : 2Co 6:17
  7. 5:5 : 1Co 5:10-11; 6:10
  8. 5:5 : Mk 1:15
  9. 5:6 : Rm 2:5; Rv 6:16
  10. 5:8 : Ps 36:9; Jn 12:46
  11. 5:8 : Is 2:5; Lk 16:8; Jn 12:35-36
  12. 5:9 : Eph 5:17
  13. 5:10 : Rm 12:2
  14. 5:10 : Lk 18:18
  15. 5:11 : Gl 5:22; Ti 3:14
  16. 5:13 : 1Jn 1:2
  17. 5:14 : Pr 6:4
  18. 5:14 : Jn 5:25
  19. 5:14 : Is 26:19; 51:17; 52:1; 60:1; Mal 4:2; Lk 1:78-79; Rm 13:11
  20. 5:16 : Col 4:5
  21. 5:17 : Jr 31:31-34; Ezk 36:26-27; Rm 12:2; Php 1:9-10; 1Th 5:21
  22. 5:17 : Ps 143:10; Pr 16:9; Gl 1:4; Eph 1:9
  23. 5:18 : Lk 12:45; Jn 2:10; 1Th 5:7; Rv 17:2
  24. 5:18 : Gn 9:21; Dt 7:13; Ps 4:7; Pr 3:10; Lk 5:37
  25. 5:18 : Lk 1:15; Ac 13:52
  26. 5:18-21 : Col 3:16-17; 1Pt 1:17
  27. 5:22 : 1Pt 3:1
  28. 5:22 : Gn 3:16; 1Co 11:3, 7-9, 11-12; Col 3:18; Ti 2:4-5; 1Pt 3:1-6
  29. 5:22 : 1Pt 3:1
  30. 5:23 : 1Co 11:3
  31. 5:23 : Col 2:10
  32. 5:23 : Col 3:18–4:1
  33. 5:25 : Col 3:19; 1Pt 3:7
  34. 5:25 : Jn 3:16; 1Co 13:1; 2Th 2:13
  35. 5:25 : Ti 2:14
  36. 5:27 : Jd 24
  37. 5:31 : 1Pt 3:1
  38. 5:31 : Gn 2:24
  39. 5:32 : 1Co 2:7

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