| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. | 1Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. |
| 2And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. | 2And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. |
| 3But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; | 3But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. |
| 4neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. | 4Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. |
| 5For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. | 5For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God. |
| 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. | 6Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God's wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. |
| 7Therefore do not be partakers with them. | 7Therefore, do not become their partners. |
| 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light | 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light-- |
| 9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), | 9for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth-- |
| 10finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. | 10discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. |
| 11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. | 11Don't participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. |
| 12For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. | 12For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. |
| 13But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. | 13Everything exposed by the light is made clear, |
| 14Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” | 14for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you. |
| 15See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, | 15Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk--not as unwise people but as wise-- |
| 16redeeming the time, because the days are evil. | 16making the most of the time, because the days are evil. |
| 17Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. | 17So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. |
| 18And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, | 18And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit: |
| 19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, | 19speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord, |
| 20giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, | 20giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, |
| 21submitting to one another in the fear of God. | 21submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. |
| 22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. | 22Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord, |
| 23For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. | 23for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. |
| 24Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. | 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. |
| 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, | 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her |
| 26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, | 26to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. |
| 27that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. | 27He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. |
| 28So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. | 28In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. |
| 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. | 29For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, |
| 30For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. | 30since we are members of His body. |
| 31“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” | 31For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. |
| 32This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. | 32This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. |
| 33Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. | 33To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband. |
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