Bible Reading Plan

Ephesians 5

Chapter 5

¹ Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. ² And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us,^(a) a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. ³ But sexual immorality^(b) and any impurity^(c) or greed^(d) should not even be heard of^[a] among you, as is proper for saints. ⁴ Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. ⁵ For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral^(e) or impure^(f) or greedy^(g) person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom^(h) of the Messiah and of God.

Light versus Darkness

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God's wrath⁽ⁱ⁾ is coming on the disobedient because of these things.^{[b] 7} Therefore, do not become their partners. ⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light^(j) in the Lord. Walk as children of light^(k)— ⁹ for the fruit of the light^[c] results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth^(l)— ¹⁰ discerning^(m) what is pleasing⁽ⁿ⁾ to the Lord. ¹¹ Don't participate in the fruitless^(o) works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. ¹³ Everything exposed by the light is made clear,^{(p) 14} for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:

Consistency in the Christian Life

¹⁵ Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— ¹⁶ making the most of the time,^[e](t) because the days are evil. ¹⁷ So don't be foolish, but understand^(u) what the Lord's will^(v) is. ¹⁸ And don't get drunk^(w) with wine,^(x) which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit:^(y)

Wives and Husbands

²² Wives,^(aa) submit^[f](ab) to your own husbands^(ac) as to the Lord, ²³ for the husband is the head of the wife^(ad) as Christ is the head^(ae) of the church. He is the Savior of the body.^{(af) 24} Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives,^(ag) just as Christ loved^(ah) the church and gave Himself^(ai) for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[g] her with the washing of water by the word. ²⁷ He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.^{(aj) 28} In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, ³⁰ since we are members of His body.^[h]

³² This mystery^(am) is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.