Ephesians 4 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Unity in the Body of Christ

4 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said,

“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;
he gave gifts to his people.”

9 (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended[a] into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

The Old Life and the New

17 Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. 19 They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 That is not the way you learned Christ! 21 For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Rules for the New Life

25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up,[b] as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.[c]

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 4:9 Other ancient authorities add first
  2. Ephesians 4:29 Other ancient authorities read building up faith
  3. Ephesians 4:32 Other ancient authorities read us

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Ephesians 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 Call upon you, then, do I -- the prisoner of the Lord -- to walk worthily of the calling with which ye were called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace; 4 one body and one ...
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Ephesians 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 Therefore I bound for the Lord beseech you, that ye walk worthily in the calling, in which ye be called, 2 with all meekness and mildness, with patience supporting each other in charity [with patience supporting, or up-bearing, together in charity], 3 busy to keep unity of Spirit in the bond of ...
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Ephesians 4 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

4 I am a prisoner who belongs to the Lord. I beg you, live the way people should live who have been called by God. 2 Do not be proud at all. Be very humble. Love one another and be patient with each other. 3 The Spirit has made you all one. Try to stay like that. May you be at peace with one another...
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Ephesians 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

4 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, ...
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Ephesians 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

4 As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: Live a life that is worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to you. 2 Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love. 3 Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace bind...
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Ephesians 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Unity of the Body and of God4 Therefore I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you were called— 2 with complete humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Ruach in the b...
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Ephesians 4 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Unity in the Body of Christ4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 Ther...
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Ephesians 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Unity in the Body of Christ4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 Ther...
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Ephesians 4 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

4 I, therefore, being the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthily of the calling to which you were called, 2 with all humility and gentleness; with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one...
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Ephesians 4 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

Live Up to Your Calling!4 So, then, this is my appeal to you – yes, it’s me, the prisoner in the Lord! You must live up to the calling you received. 2 Bear with one another in love; be humble, meek and patient in every way with one another. 3 Make every effort to guard the unity that the spirit gi...
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Ephesians 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Unity in the Body of Christ4 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond...
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Ephesians 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Unity in the Body of Christ4 I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,(A)2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,(B)3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in ...
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Ephesians 4 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

He exhorts them to meekness and longsuffering, to love and peace. Everyone is to serve and edify the other with the gift that God has given him, to beware of strange doctrine, to lay aside the old life of greedy desires, and to walk in a new life. 4 I therefore, who am in bonds for the Lord’s sake, ...
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Ephesians 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

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