Ephesians 5:3

Amplified Bible

But sexual immorality and all [moral] impurity [indecent, offensive behavior] or greed must not even be hinted at among you, as is proper among saints [for as believers our way of life, whether in public or in private, reflects the validity of our faith].

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
But there must be no sexual sin among you. There must not be any kind of evil or selfishly wanting more and more, because such things are not right for God's holy people.

Revised Standard Version
But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
So that fornicacion and all vnclennes or coveteousnes be not once named amonge you as it be commeth saynctes:

Hebrew Names Version
But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes holy ones;

New American Standard Bible
But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints;

New Century Version
But there must be no sexual sin among you, or any kind of evil or greed. Those things are not right for God's holy people.

Update Bible Version
But fornication, all impurity, or greed, don't let it even be named among you, as becomes saints;

Webster's Bible Translation
But lewdness and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

English Standard Version
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

World English Bible
But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But let not fornication, or any uncleanness, or covetousness be even named among you, as becometh saints:

Weymouth's New Testament
But fornication and every kind of impurity, or covetousness, let them not even be mentioned among you, for they ought not to be named among God's people.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And fornycacioun, and al vnclennesse, or aueryce, be not named among you, as it bicometh holi men;

English Revised Version
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;

Berean Standard Bible
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

Contemporary English Version
You are God's people, so don't let it be said that any of you are immoral or indecent or greedy.

American Standard Version
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;

Bible in Basic English
But evil acts of the flesh and all unclean things, or desire for others' property, let it not even be named among you, as is right for saints;

Complete Jewish Bible
Among you there should not even be mentioned sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or greed; these are utterly inappropriate for God's holy people.

Darby Translation
But fornication and all uncleanness or unbridled lust, let it not be even named among you, as it becomes saints;

International Standard Version
Do not let sexual sin, impurity of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints.Romans 6:13; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:18; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Ephesians 4:19-20; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
BUT fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness, let them not be even heard among you, as it becometh the saints;

Murdock Translation
But whoredom, and all impurity, and avarice let them not be at all heard of among you, as it becometh the saints;

King James Version (1611)
But fornication and all vncleannesse, or couetousnesse, let it not be once named amongst you, as becommeth Saints:

New Living Translation
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people.

New Life Bible
Do not let sex sins or anything sinful be even talked about among those who belong to Christ. Do not always want everything.

New Revised Standard
But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But fornication, and all vncleannesse, or couetousnesse, let it not be once named among you, as it becommeth Saintes,

George Lamsa Translation
But let not immorality or any uncleanness or covetousness be heard of among you, as becomes saints;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, fornication, and all impurity, or covetousness, let it not be named among you - even as becometh saints;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But fornication, and all vncleannesse, or couetousnesse, let it not be once named among you, as it becommeth saintes:

Good News Translation
Since you are God's people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you.

Christian Standard Bible®
But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints.

King James Version
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Lexham English Bible
But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or greediness, must not even be named among you (as is fitting for saints),

Literal Translation
But let not fornication, and all uncleanness, or greediness, be named among you, as is fitting for saints;

Young's Literal Translation
and whoredom, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As for whordome and all vnclennes, or couetousnes, let it not be named amoge you, as it becommeth sayntes:

Mace New Testament (1729)
But fornication, and all impurity, or inordinate desire, let it not be approved by you, as being unworthy of christians: neither ribaldry,

THE MESSAGE
Don't allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed. Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses for language than that. Don't talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn't fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect.

New English Translation
But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints.

New King James Version
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;

Simplified Cowboy Version
Shun lust, promiscuity, and all your jealous hankerin'. That ain't the way God's cowboys live or ride.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

Legacy Standard Bible
But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

Contextual Overview

³But sexual immorality and all [moral] impurity [indecent, offensive behavior] or greed must not even be hinted at among you, as is proper among saints [for as believers our way of life, whether in public or in private, reflects the validity of our faith].⁴Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; but instead speak of your thankfulness [to God]. ⁵For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person—for that one is [in effect] an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [for such a person places a higher value on something other than God]. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty arguments [that encourage you to sin], for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience [those who habitually sin]. ⁷So do not participate or even associate with them [in the rebelliousness of sin]. ⁸For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light] ⁹(for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), ¹⁰trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him—your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation]. ¹¹Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]; ¹²for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that such people practice in secret.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

fornication: Ephesians 5:5, Ephesians 4:19, Ephesians 4:20, Numbers 25:1, Deuteronomy 23:17, Deuteronomy 23:18, Matthew 15:19, Mark 7:21, Acts 15:20, Romans 1:29, Romans 6:13, 1 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 6:13, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 10:8, 2 Corinthians 12:21, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, Hebrews 12:16, Hebrews 13:4, 2 Peter 2:10, Revelation 2:14, Revelation 2:21, Revelation 9:21, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:15

covetousness: Ephesians 5:5, Exodus 18:21, Exodus 20:17, Joshua 7:21, 1 Samuel 8:3, Psalms 10:3, Psalms 119:36, Proverbs 28:16, Jeremiah 6:13, Jeremiah 8:10, Jeremiah 22:17, Ezekiel 33:31, Micah 2:2, Mark 7:22, Luke 12:15, Luke 16:14, Acts 20:33, 1 Corinthians 6:10, Colossians 3:5, 1 Timothy 3:3, 1 Timothy 6:10, 2 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:7, Titus 1:11, Hebrews 13:5, 1 Peter 5:2, 2 Peter 2:3, 2 Peter 2:14

named: Ephesians 5:12, Exodus 23:13, 1 Corinthians 5:1

as: Romans 16:2, Philippians 1:27, 1 Timothy 2:10, Titus 2:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 34:7 - thing Genesis 39:11 - none of the men Exodus 20:14 - General Leviticus 15:18 - the woman Isaiah 57:17 - the iniquity Ezekiel 33:9 - if thou Matthew 15:20 - which Mark 4:21 - Is a Luke 6:45 - good man Romans 3:10 - none Romans 7:7 - Thou shalt Romans 8:13 - ye live Romans 13:13 - chambering 1 Corinthians 7:35 - comely Ephesians 4:17 - that ye Ephesians 4:29 - no Colossians 3:18 - as 1 Timothy 1:10 - whoremongers Hebrews 12:15 - trouble James 3:6 - a world

Cross-References

Genesis 4:25
Adam knew [Eve as] his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for [she said], "God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, because Cain killed him."

Genesis 5:2
He created them male and female, and blessed them and named them Mankind at the time they were created.

Genesis 5:3
When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.

Genesis 5:14
So Kenan lived nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

Genesis 5:16
Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after the birth of Jared and had other sons and daughters.

Job 14:4
"Who can make a clean thing out of the unclean? No one!

Job 25:4
"How then can man be justified and righteous with God? Or how can he who is born of a woman be pure and clean?

Psalms 51:5
I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness; In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].

Luke 1:35
Then the angel replied to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a cloud]; for that reason the holy (pure, sinless) Child shall be called the Son of God.

John 3:6
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness,.... The apostle proceeds to dehort from several vices, which are unbecoming the dear children and followers of God; and which the love of Christ should constrain them to avoid: the first of these, which is simple "fornication", is the sin which is committed between single or unmarried persons; and is contrary to the law of God, is a work of the flesh, and is against a man's own body; it renders persons unfit for church communion, brings many temporal calamities upon them, and exposes them to divine wrath, and excludes from the kingdom of heaven, without repentance; and the reason why it is so often taken notice of is, because it was very frequent among the Gentiles, and not thought criminal: "all uncleanness" takes in adultery, incest, sodomy, and every unnatural lust; and "covetousness" seems not so much to design that sin which is commonly so called, namely, an immoderate desire after worldly things, as a greedy and insatiable appetite after the above lusts:

let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; that is, neither one or other of them; the sense is, that they should not be committed; so that there might be no occasion to speak of them, even though with abhorrence, as if there were no such vices in being; and much less should they be named with pleasure, and pleaded for: for thus it becomes such who are set apart by God the Father, whose sins are expiated by the blood of Christ, and whose hearts are sanctified by the Spirit of God; who profess the Gospel of Christ, and have a place and a name in God's house, better than that of sons and daughters.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But fornication - A “common” vice among the pagan then as it is now, and one into which they were in special danger of falling; see Romans 1:29 note; 1 Corinthians 6:18 note.

And all uncleanness - Impurity of life; see the notes on Romans 1:24; compare Romans 6:19; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19; Colossians 3:5.

Or covetousness - The “connection” in which this word is found is remarkable. It is associated with the lowest and most debasing vices, and this, as well as those vices, was not once to be “named” among them. What was Paul’s estimate then of covetousness? He considered it as an odious and abominable vice; a vice to be regarded in the same light as the most gross sin, and as wholly to be abhorred by all who bore the Christian name see Ephesians 5:5. The covetous man, according to Paul, is to be ranked with the sensual, and with idolaters Ephesians 5:5, and with those who are entirely excluded from the kingdom of God Is this the estimate in which the vice is held now? Is it the view which professing Christians take of it? Do we not feel that there is a “great” difference between a covetous man and a man of impure and licentious life? Why is this? Because:

(1)It is so common;

(2)Because it is found among those who make pretensions to refinement and even religion;

(3)Because it is not so easy to define what is covetousness, as it is to define impurity of life; and,

(4)Because the public conscience is seared, and the mind blinded to the low and grovelling character of the sin.

Yet, is not the view of Paul the right view? Who is a covetous man? A man who, in the pursuit of gold, neglects his soul, his intellect, and his heart. A man who, in this insatiable pursuit, is regardless of justice, truth, charity, faith, prayer, peace, comfort, usefulness, conscience; and who shall say that there is any vice more debasing or degrading than this? The time “may” come, therefore, when the covetous man will be regarded as deserving the same rank in the public estimation with the most vicious, and when to covet will be considered as much opposed to the spirit of the gospel as any of the vices here named. When that time shall come, the world’s conversion will probably be not a distant event.

Let it not be once named among you - That is, let it not exist; let there be no occasion for mentioning such a thing among you; let it be wholly unknown. This cannot mean that it is wrong to “mention” these vices for the purpose of rebuking them, or cautioning those in danger of committing them - for Paul himself in this manner mentions them here, and frequently elsewhere - but that they should not “exist” among them.

As becometh saints - As befits the character of Christians, who are regarded as holy. Literally, “as becometh holy ones” - ἁγίοις hagiois.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ephesians 5:3. But fornication — It is probable that the three terms used here by the apostle refer to different species of the same thing. The word fornication, πορνεια, may imply not only fornication but adultery also, as it frequently does; uncleanness, ακαθαρσια may refer to all abominable and unnatural lusts-sodomy, bestiality, &c., and covetousness, πλεονεξια, to excessive indulgence in that which, moderately used, is lawful. As the covetous man never has enough of wealth, so the pleasure-taker and the libertine never have enough of the gratifications of sense, the appetite increasing in proportion to its indulgence. If, however, simple covetousness, i.e. the love of gain, be here intended, it shows from the connection in which it stands, (for it is linked with fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness,) how degrading it is to the soul of man, and how abominable it is in the eye of God. In other places it is ranked with idolatry, for the man who has an inordinate love of gain makes money his god.

Let it not be once named — Let no such things ever exist among you, for ye are called to be saints.