Ephesians 5:1-6:24 Be you, therefore, imitators of God, as beloved children;

Anderson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Be you, therefore, imitators of God, as beloved children; ² and walk in love, as the Christ also loved us, and gave him self for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet odor. ³ But lewdness, and all manner of uncleanness, or covetousness, let them not be named among you, as it becomes saints; ⁴ nor obscene language, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not becoming; but rather the cheerful words of. a thankful heart. ⁵ For you know this, that no lewd nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and of God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with vain words: for on account of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore, be not partakers with them. ⁸ For you were formerly 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 and righteousness and truth;) ¹⁰ learning what is acceptable to the Lord; ¹¹ and do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them; ¹² for it is a shame even to speak of the things that are done by them in secret. ¹³ But all these works, when reproved, are made manifest by the light: for every thing that makes manifest is light. ¹⁴ Wherefore, the scripture says: Awake you that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. ¹⁵ See, then, that you walk circumspectly, not as unwise, but as wise men, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Wherefore, be not ignorant, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And be not drunk with wine, in which is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit; ¹⁹ speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks to our God and Father always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; ²¹ being subject one to another in the fear of God. ²² Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord: ²³ for the husband is the head of the wife, as the Christ also is the head of the church; and he is the savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to the Christ, so, also, let the wives be subject to their own husbands in every thing. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as the Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it, ²⁶ that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the bath of water through the word, ²⁷ in order that he might present it to himself a glorious church, having neither stain, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So ought men to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Christ the church: ³⁰ because we are members of his body, being of his flesh, and of his bones. ³¹ For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. ³² Great is this mystery; but I speak of Christ and of the church. ³³ But yet, let each one of you so love his wife as himself; and let the wife see that she reverence her husband. ⁶ ¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. ² Honor your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, ³ that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. ⁴ And you fathers, do not provoke your children to anger: but bring them up in the instruction and discipline of the Lord. ⁵ Servants, be subject to your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to the Christ; ⁶ not with eye-service, as pleasing men, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul; ⁷ with good will doing service as to the Lord, and not as to men; ⁸ knowing that whatever good any one does, the same shall he receive from the Lord, whether he is a servant or a freeman. ⁹ And you masters, do the same things to them, leaving off threatening, knowing that you yourselves have a master in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him. ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the wiles of the devil: ¹² for our conflict is not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the rulers of the darkness of this world, with the wicked spirits in the heavenly regions. ¹³ Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand them in the evil day, and having overcome them all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand, therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and wearing the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having your feet shod with that preparation for defense supplied by the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ taking up, over all, the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one: ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: ¹⁸ praying with all prayer and supplication, at all times, in the Spirit; and to this end being watchful in all perseverance, and supplication for all the saints: ¹⁹ and for me, that speech may be given me, in opening my mouth with boldness, that I may make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. ²¹ But that you, also, may know my affairs, how I do, Tychicus, my beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make known all things to you; ²² him I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts. ²³ Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.