Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live 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,

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

2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

3making 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 at your calling--

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 above all and through all and in all.

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

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

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

8For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.

8Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."

9But what does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth?

9(Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?

10The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.

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

11And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

12equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,

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 God's Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ's fullness.

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 little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

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;

15But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head--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, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

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.

17Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their thoughts.

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, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness 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;

19They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

19and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

20But that is not how you came to know Christ,

20But you did not learn Christ in this way,

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

21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

22to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by 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 renewed in the spirit of your minds,

23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24and to put on the new self, the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

25Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.

26Be angry and do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger,

26BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

27and don't give the devil an opportunity.

27and do not give the devil an opportunity.

28Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone 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.

29No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.

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 don't grieve God's Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.

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

31Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.

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

32And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

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