Ephesians, 4

1. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

1. Therefore I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to live the vocation you have received.

2. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

2. Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love.

3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

3. Make every effort to keep among you the unity of Spirit through bonds of peace.

4. [There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

4. Let there be one body and one spirit, for God, in calling you, gave the same Spirit to all.

5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

6. One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.

6. One God, the Father of all, who is above all and works through all and is in all.

7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

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

8. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

8. Therefore it is said: When he ascended to the heights, he brought captives and gave his gifts to people.

9. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

9. He ascended: this refers to the one who first descended to the dead in the lower parts of the world.

10. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

10. He himself who went down, then ascended far above all the heavens to fill all things.

11. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

11. As for his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles, to others prophets, or even evangelists, or pastors and teachers.

12. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

12. So he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry, in order to build up the Body of Christ,

13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

13. until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Thus we shall become the perfect Man, upon reaching maturity and sharing the fullness of Christ.

14. That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

14. Then no longer shall we be like children tossed about by any wave or wind of doctrine, and deceived by the cunning of people who drag them along into error.

15. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ:

15. Rather, with sincere love, we shall grow in every way towards him who is the head, Christ.

16. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

16. From him comes the growth of the whole body to which a network of joints gives order and cohesion, taking into account and making use of the function of each one. So the body builds itself in love.

17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

17. I say to you, then, and with insistence I advise you in the Lord: do not imitate the pagans who live an aimless kind of life.

18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

18. Their understanding is in darkness and they remain in ignorance because of their blind conscience, very far from the life of God.

19. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

19. As a result of their corruption, they have abandoned themselves to sensuality and have eagerly given themselves to every kind of immorality.

20. But ye have not so learned Christ;

20. But it is not for this that you have followed Christ.

21. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

21. For I suppose that you heard of him and received his teaching which is seen in Jesus himself.

22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

22. You must give up your former way of living, the old self, whose deceitful desires bring self-destruction.

23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

23. Renew yourselves spiritually, from inside,

24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

24. and put on the new self, or self according to God, which is created in true righteousness and holiness.

25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

25. Therefore, give up lying; let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors for we are members of one another.

26. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

26. Be angry but do not sin: do not let your anger last until the end of the day,

27. Neither give place to the devil.

27. lest you give the devil a foothold.

28. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

28. Let the one who used to steal, steal no more, but busy himself working usefully with his hands so that he may have something to share with the needy.

29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

29. Do not let even one bad word come from your mouth, but only good words that will encourage when necessary and be helpful to those who hear.

30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

30. Do not sadden the Holy Spirit of God which you were marked with. It will be your distinctive mark on the day of salvation.

31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

31. Do away with all quarreling, rage, anger, insults and every kind of malice:

32. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

32. be good and understanding, mutually forgiving one another as God forgave you in Christ.