| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. | 1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with 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, showing tolerance for one another in love, |
| 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. | 3being diligent to preserve 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 also you were called in one hope of your calling; |
| 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 to each one of us grace was given 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 CAPTIVE 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(Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of 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 Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) |
| 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, | 11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, |
| 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up | 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of 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 a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to 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. | 14As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; |
| 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. | 15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even 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, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself 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. | 17So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, |
| 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. | 18being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their 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. | 19and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. |
| 20That, however, is not the way of life you learned | 20But you did not learn Christ in this way, |
| 21when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. | 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as 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; | 22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, |
| 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; | 23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, |
| 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. | 24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. |
| 25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. | 25Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. |
| 26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, | 26BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, |
| 27and do not give the devil a foothold. | 27and do not give the devil an opportunity. |
| 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. | 28He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has 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 unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will 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. | 30Do 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, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven 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. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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