International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to live in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

2demonstrating all expressions of humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another in love.

2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

3Do your best to maintain the unity of the Spirit by means of the bond of peace.

3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4There is one body and one Spirit. Likewise, you were called to the one hope of your calling.

4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—

5There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

5one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6one God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in all.

6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

7Now to each one of us grace has been given proportionate to the measure of the Messiah's gift.

7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

8That is why God says, "When he went up to the highest place, he led captives into captivity and gave gifts to people."

8Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

9Now what does this "he went up" mean except that he also had gone down into the lower parts of the earth?

9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?

10The one who went down is the same one who went up above all the heavens so that all things would be fulfilled.

10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers,

11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,

12to equip the saints, to do the work of ministry, and to build up the body of the Messiah

12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

13until all of us are united in the faith and in the full knowledge of God's Son, and until we attain mature adulthood and the full standard of development in the Messiah.

13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

14Then we will no longer be little children, tossed like waves and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, or by clever strategies that would lead us astray.

14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

15Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah,

15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

16in whom the whole body is united and held together by every ligament with which it is supplied. As each individual part does its job, the body builds itself up in love.

16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

17Therefore, I tell you and insist on in the Lord not to live any longer like the gentiles live, thinking worthless thoughts.

17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart.

18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

19Since they have lost all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to sensuality and practice every kind of sexual perversion without restraint.

19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

20However, that is not the way you came to know the Messiah.

20But that is not the way you learned Christ!—

21Surely you have listened to him and have been taught by him, since truth is in Jesus.

21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,

22Regarding your former way of life, you were taught to strip off your old nature, which is being ruined by its deceptive desires,

22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,

23to be renewed in your mental attitude,

23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

24and to clothe yourselves with the new nature, which was created according to God's image in righteousness and true holiness.

24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

25Therefore, stripping off falsehood, "let each of us speak the truth to his neighbor," for we belong to one another.

25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

26"Be angry, yet do not sin." Do not let the sun set while you are still angry,

26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

27and do not give the devil an opportunity to work.

27and give no opportunity to the devil.

28The thief must no longer steal but must work hard and do what is good with his own hands, so that he might earn something to give to the needy.

28Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

29Let no filthy talk be heard from your mouths, but only what is good for building up people and meeting the need of the moment. This way you will administer grace to those who hear you.

29Let 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 grace to those who hear.

30Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.

30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, quarreling, and slander be put away from you, along with all hatred.

31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

32And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another just as God has forgiven you in the Messiah.

32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.