1Therefore imitate God, as his dear children,
2and live a life of love, following the example of the Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you as an offering and a sacrifice to God, that should be fragrant and acceptable.
3As for sexual immorality and every kind of impurity, or greed, do not let them even be mentioned among you, as befits Christ's people,
4nor shameful conduct, nor foolish talk or jesting, for they are wholly out of place among you; but rather thanksgiving.
5For of this you may be sure — that no one who is unchaste or impure or greedy of gain (for to be greedy of gain is idolatry) has any place awaiting him in the kingdom of the Christ and God.
6Do not let anyone deceive you with specious arguments. Those are the sins that bring down the wrath of God on the disobedient.
7Therefore have nothing to do with such people.
8For, although you were once in darkness, now, by your union with the Lord, you are in the light. Live as children of light —
9for the outcome of life in the light may be seen in every form of goodness, righteousness, and sincerity —
10always trying to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.
11Take no part in deeds of darkness, from which no good can come; on the contrary, expose them.
12It is degrading even to speak of the things continually done by them in secret.
13All such actions, when exposed, have their true character made manifest by the light.
14For everything that has its true character made manifest is clear as light. And that is why it is said — ‘Sleeper, awake! Arise from the dead, And the Christ will give you light!’
15Take great care, then, how you live — not unwisely but wisely,
16making the most of every opportunity; for these are evil days.
17Therefore do not grow thoughtless, but try to understand what the Lord's will is.
18Do not drink wine to excess, for that leads to profligacy; but seek to be filled with the Spirit of God, and speak to one another in psalms and hymns and sacred songs.
19Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord.
20Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21Submit to one another because you honor and respect Christ.
22Wives should submit to their husbands as submitting to the Lord.
23For a man is the head of his wife, as the Christ is the head of the church — being indeed himself the Savior of his body.
24But as the church submits to the Christ, so also should wives submit to their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as the Christ loved the church, and gave himself for her,
26to make her holy, after purifying her by the washing with the water, according to his promise;
27so that he might himself bring the church, in all her beauty, into his own presence, with no spot or wrinkle or blemish of any kind, but that she might be holy and faultless.
28That is how husbands ought to love their wives — as if they were their own bodies. A man who loves his wife is really loving himself;
29for no one ever yet hated his own body. But everyone feeds his body and cares for it, just as the Christ for the church;
30for we are members of his body.
31For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife; and the man and his wife will become one.
32In this there is a profound truth — I am speaking of Christ and his church.
33However, for you individually, let each love his wife as if she were himself; and the wife be careful to respect her husband.
