| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. | 1I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily 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, bearing with one another in love, |
| 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. | 3making every effort to keep 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 too were called to the 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 the gift of Christ. |
| 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 captured captives; he gave gifts to men." |
| 9(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? | 9Now what is the meaning of "he ascended," except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? |
| 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) | 10He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. |
| 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, | 11It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, 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 | 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build 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--a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ's full stature. |
| 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 we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their 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. | 15But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. |
| 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 him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows 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 I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. |
| 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, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. |
| 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. | 19Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency 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 about Christ like this, |
| 21when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. | 21if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just 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; | 22You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, |
| 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; | 23to 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 to put on the new man who has been created in God's image--in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. |
| 25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. | 25Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth 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 do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. |
| 27and do not give the devil a foothold. | 27Do 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. | 28The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the 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. | 29You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, 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. | 31You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. |
| 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. | 32Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. |
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