1 Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.
3 You are God's people, so don't let it be said that any of you are immoral or indecent or greedy. 4 Don't use dirty or foolish or filthy words. Instead, say how thankful you are. 5 Being greedy, indecent, or immoral is just another way of worshiping idols. You can be sure people who behave in this way will never be part of the kingdom that belongs to Christ and to God.
Living as People of Light
6 Don't let anyone trick you with foolish talk. God punishes everyone who disobeys him and says foolish things. 7 So don't have anything to do with anyone like that.
8 You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light 9 and make your light shine. Be good and honest and truthful, 10 as you try to please the Lord. 11 Don't take part in doing those worthless things that are done in the dark. Instead, show how wrong they are. 12 It is disgusting even to talk about what is done in the dark. 13 But the light will show what these things are really like. 14 Light shows up everything, just as the Scriptures say,
“Wake up from your sleep
and rise from death.
Then Christ will shine on you.”
15 Act like people with good sense and not like fools. 16 These are evil times, so make every minute count. 17 Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don't destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life. 19 When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart. 20 Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything.
Wives and Husbands
21 Honor Christ and put others first. 22 A wife should put her husband first, as she does the Lord. 23 A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body. 24 Wives should always put their husbands first, as the church puts Christ first.
25 A husband should love his wife as much as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. 26 He made the church holy by the power of his word, and he made it pure by washing it with water. 27 Christ did this, so he would have a glorious and holy church, without faults or spots or wrinkles or any other flaws.
28 In the same way, a husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself. A husband who loves his wife shows he loves himself. 29 None of us hate our own bodies. We provide for them and take good care of them, just as Christ does for the church, 30 because we are each part of his body. 31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother to get married, and he becomes like one person with his wife.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I understand it to mean Christ and his church. 33 So each husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and each wife should respect her husband.
1 Bee yee therefore followers of God, as deare children, 2 And walke in loue, euen as Christ hath loued vs, and hath giuen himselfe for vs, to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweete smellling sauour to God. 3 But fornication, and all vncleannesse, or couetousnesse, let it not be once named among you, as it becommeth Saintes, 4 Neither filthinesse, neither foolish talking, neither iesting, which are things not comely, but rather giuing of thankes. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, neither vncleane person, nor couetous person, which is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ, and of God. 6 Let no man deceiue you with vaine wordes: for, for such thinges commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not therefore companions with them. 8 For ye were once darkenesse, but are nowe light in the Lord: walke as children of light, 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in al goodnes, and righteousnes, and trueth) 10 Approuing that which is pleasing to the Lord. 11 And haue no fellowship with ye vnfruitfull works of darknes, but euen reproue them rather. 12 For it is shame euen to speake of the things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all thinges when they are reproued of the light, are manifest: for it is light that maketh all things manifest. 14 Wherefore hee sayeth, Awake thou that sleepest, and stande vp from the deade, and Christ shall giue thee light. 15 Take heede therefore that yee walke circumspectly, not as fooles, but as wise, 16 Redeeming ye season: for ye daies are euill. 17 Wherefore, be ye not vnwise, but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunke with wine, wherein is excesse: but be fulfilled with the Spirit, 19 Speaking vnto your selues in psalmes, and hymnes, and spirituall songs, singing, and making melodie to the Lord in your hearts, 20 Giuing thankes alwaies for all thinges vnto God euen the Father, in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ, 21 Submitting your selues one to another in the feare of God. 22 Wiues, submit your selues vnto your husbands, as vnto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the wiues head, euen as Christ is the head of the Church, and the same is the sauiour of his body. 24 Therfore as the Church is in subiection to Christ, euen so let the wiues be to their husbands in euery thing. 25 Husbands, loue your wiues, euen as Christ loued the Church, and gaue himselfe for it, 26 That hee might sanctifie it, and clense it by the washing of water through the worde, 27 That hee might make it vnto him selfe a glorious Church, not hauing spot or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it shoulde bee holy and without blame. 28 So ought men to loue their wiues, as their owne bodies: he that loueth his wife, loueth him selfe. 29 For no man euer yet hated his owne flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, euen as the Lord doeth the Church. 30 For we are members of his bodie, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother, and shall cleaue to his wife, and they twaine shalbe one flesh. 32 This is a great secrete, but I speake concerning Christ, and concerning the Church. 33 Therefore euery one of you, doe ye so: let euery one loue his wife, euen as himselfe, and let the wife see that shee feare her husband.