| New International Version | English Standard Version |
| 1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. | 1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, |
| 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. | 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, |
| 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. | 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. |
| 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; | 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— |
| 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; | 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, |
| 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. | 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. |
| 7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. | 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. |
| 8This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people." | 8Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” |
| 9(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? | 9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? |
| 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) | 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) |
| 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, | 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, |
| 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up | 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, |
| 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. | 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 infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. | 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, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. | 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, |
| 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. | 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. |
| 17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. | 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 the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. | 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. |
| 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. | 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. |
| 20That, however, is not the way of life you learned | 20But that is not the way you learned Christ!— |
| 21when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. | 21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, |
| 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; | 22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, |
| 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; | 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, |
| 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. | 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. |
| 25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. | 25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. |
| 26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down 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 a foothold. | 27and give no opportunity to the devil. |
| 28Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. | 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. |
| 29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. | 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. |
| 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. | 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. |
| 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. | 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. |
| 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. | 32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | 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. |
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