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Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 4

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Ephesians 4 NWT - New World TranslationEphesians 4 NWT - New World Translation

Chapter 4 of Ephesians—New World Translation (NWT)

  1. ¶ I, therefore, the prisoner1 in [the] Lord, entreat YOU to walk worthily2 of the calling with which YOU were called,3
  2. with complete lowliness of mind4 and mildness, with long-suffering,5 putting up with one another in love,6
  3. earnestly endeavoring to observe the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace.7
  4. One body8 there is, and one spirit,9 even as YOU were called in the one hope10 to which YOU were called;
  5. one Lord,11 one faith,12 one baptism;13
  6. one God14 and Father of all [persons], who is over all and through all and in all.
  7. ¶ Now to each one of us undeserved kindness15 was given according to how the Christ measured out the free gift.16
  8. Wherefore he[a] says: “When he ascended on high he carried away captives; he gave gifts [in] men.”[b]17
  9. Now the expression “he ascended,”18 what does it mean but that he also descended into the lower regions, that is, the earth?19
  10. The very one that descended is also the one that ascended20 far above all the heavens,21 that he might give fullness22 to all things.[c]
  11. ¶ And he gave some as apostles,23 some as prophets,24 some as evangelizers,[d]25 some as shepherds and teachers,26
  12. with a view to the readjustment[e]27 of the holy ones, for ministerial work, for the building up of the body of the Christ,28
  13. until we all attain to the oneness in the faith and in the accurate knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown29 man, to the measure of stature that belongs to the fullness of the Christ;30
  14. in order that we should no longer be babes, tossed about31 as by waves and carried hither and thither by every wind of teaching32 by means of the trickery33 of men, by means of cunning in contriving error.
  15. But speaking the truth,[f]34 let us by love grow up35 in all things into him who is the head,36 Christ.
  16. From him all the body,37 by being harmoniously joined together and being made to cooperate[g] through every joint that gives what is needed, according to the functioning of each respective member in due measure, makes for the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.38
  17. ¶ This, therefore, I say and bear witness to in [the] Lord, that YOU no longer go on walking just as the nations39 also walk in the unprofitableness of their minds,40
  18. while they are in darkness mentally,41 and alienated42 from the life that belongs to God, because of the ignorance43 that is in them, because of the insensibility44 of their hearts.
  19. Having come to be past all moral sense,45 they gave themselves over to loose46 conduct[h] to work uncleanness[i]47 of every sort with greediness.48
  20. ¶ But YOU did not learn the Christ to be so,49
  21. provided, indeed, that YOU heard him and were taught by means of him,50 just as truth51 is in Jesus,
  22. that YOU should put away the old personality52 which conforms to YOUR former course of conduct and which is being corrupted53 according to his deceptive desires;54
  23. but that YOU should be made new in the force actuating YOUR mind,[j]55
  24. and should put on56 the new personality57 which was created58 according to God’s will in true righteousness59 and loyalty.
  25. ¶ Wherefore, now that YOU have put away falsehood,60 speak truth each one of YOU with his neighbor,61 because we are members belonging to one another.62
  26. Be wrathful,[k] and yet do not sin;63 let the sun not set with YOU in a provoked state,64
  27. neither allow place for the Devil.65
  28. Let the stealer steal no more,66 but rather let him do hard work, doing with his hands what is good work,67 that he may have something to distribute to someone in need.68
  29. Let a rotten saying not proceed out of YOUR mouth,69 but whatever saying is good for building up as the need may be, that it may impart what is favorable to the hearers.70
  30. Also, do not be grieving[l] God’s holy spirit,71 with which YOU have been sealed72 for a day of releasing by ransom.73
  31. ¶ Let all malicious bitterness74 and anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech75 be taken away from YOU along with all badness.76
  32. But become kind77 to one another, tenderly compassionate,78 freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave YOU.79

FOOTNOTES

  1. ^ Or, “it.”
  2. ^ Or, “consisting of men,” in agreement with M (Ps 68:18) and LXX (Ps 67:19). Lit., “to the men.”
  3. ^ Or, “he might bring all things to fulfillment.”
  4. ^ Or, “missionaries.” Gr., eu·ag·ge·li·stasʹ; Lat., e·van·ge·liʹstas.
  5. ^ Or, “to the putting into proper alignment.”
  6. ^ Or, “But being truthful.”
  7. ^ Lit., “being made to go together.”
  8. ^ “To loose conduct.” Gr., tei a·sel·geiʹai, dative, sing. See Ga 5:19 ftn, “Conduct.”
  9. ^ See Ga 5:19 ftn, “Uncleanness.”
  10. ^ Lit., “to the spirit of your mind.”
  11. ^ Lit., “Be you being made wrathful.”
  12. ^ Lit., “not be you saddening.”

REFERENCES

  1. ^ Eph 6:20; Pm 9
  2. ^ Pp 1:27
  3. ^ Ro 8:30
  4. ^ Mt 11:29; Ac 20:19; Ro 12:3; Pp 2:3; 1Pe 5:5
  5. ^ 2Co 6:6; 1Th 5:14
  6. ^ 1Co 13:4
  7. ^ Ro 15:6; 1Co 1:10; Pp 1:27; Col 3:15
  8. ^ Ro 12:5; Eph 2:16
  9. ^ 1Co 12:4
  10. ^ 1Pe 1:3
  11. ^ 1Co 8:6; 12:5
  12. ^ 2Co 4:13
  13. ^ 1Co 12:13
  14. ^ 1Co 8:6; 12:6
  15. ^ Ro 12:3
  16. ^ Ro 12:6; 1Co 12:11; 2Co 9:15
  17. ^ Ps 68:18; 1Co 12:28; Eph 4:11
  18. ^ Jn 3:13; Ac 2:31
  19. ^ Mt 12:40
  20. ^ Ac 1:9; 1Ti 3:16
  21. ^ Heb 4:14; 9:24
  22. ^ Col 1:19
  23. ^ Mt 10:2
  24. ^ 1Co 12:28
  25. ^ Ac 21:8
  26. ^ Ac 13:1; Jm 3:1
  27. ^ 1Co 12:7
  28. ^ 1Co 14:26
  29. ^ 1Co 14:20
  30. ^ Col 1:28
  31. ^ Heb 6:19; Jm 1:6
  32. ^ Col 2:18; Heb 13:9; 1Pe 2:1
  33. ^ 2Co 11:13
  34. ^ 1Jo 3:18
  35. ^ Jm 1:4
  36. ^ 1Co 11:3; Col 1:18
  37. ^ 1Co 12:27
  38. ^ Col 2:19
  39. ^ 1Pe 4:3
  40. ^ Ro 1:21
  41. ^ Ac 26:18
  42. ^ Ga 4:8; Eph 2:12; Col 1:21
  43. ^ Ac 17:30
  44. ^ Ro 11:25
  45. ^ Ro 1:28
  46. ^ 2Co 12:21; Ga 5:19; Jd 4
  47. ^ Ro 1:26
  48. ^ Is 56:11
  49. ^ 1Th 4:4; Heb 7:26
  50. ^ 1Th 4:1
  51. ^ Jn 1:14
  52. ^ Ro 6:6; Col 3:9
  53. ^ Ro 8:13
  54. ^ Ro 7:23
  55. ^ Ps 51:10; Eze 11:19; 18:31; Ro 12:2
  56. ^ Ga 3:27
  57. ^ Col 3:10
  58. ^ Eph 2:10
  59. ^ Ps 45:7; Ro 1:17
  60. ^ Ac 5:2; Col 3:8
  61. ^ Zc 8:16; Col 3:9; Re 21:8
  62. ^ Ro 12:5
  63. ^ Ps 4:4
  64. ^ Le 19:17; Col 3:13; 1Pe 4:8
  65. ^ Jm 4:7
  66. ^ De 5:19
  67. ^ 1Th 4:11; 2Th 3:10
  68. ^ Ac 20:35
  69. ^ Mt 15:11; Jm 3:10
  70. ^ Col 4:6
  71. ^ Is 63:10; 2Co 6:1; 1Th 5:19
  72. ^ Eph 1:13
  73. ^ Ro 8:23
  74. ^ Jm 3:14
  75. ^ Col 3:8
  76. ^ Ti 3:2
  77. ^ Mc 6:8; 2Co 6:6
  78. ^ Col 3:12; 1Pe 3:8
  79. ^ Mt 6:14; 18:35; Mr 11:25; 2Co 2:10

Read Ephesians Chapter 4 in other Bible versions:

Comments

  1. David yakubuDavid yakubu
    Oct 29, 2022 08:05 GMT

    When i do read some comments and seeing that its the same people that are supposed to be called believers but are talking ill of other denominations, it hurts. Let us all remember that We should judge not

    1. jonas smithjonas smith
      Apr 23, 2023 02:57 GMT

      The bible tells us to test the spirits. Satan disguises himself as angel of light. So yes some denomination are not teaching the truth. You are responsible for judging which ones are not. You have to judge the truth at all times. this is what the bible teaches

  2. THTH
    Apr 7, 2021 00:20 GMT

    The NWT is a very good translation. Dr. Jason David BeDuhn PhD attests to that in his book Truth in Translation. drive.google.com/...5p16melHzg8/view

    1. James LernerJames Lerner
      Jul 20, 2024 09:48 GMT

      The NWT is Satanic filth to its very core.

      The JW Cult is Satanic to its very core.

      Praise Yahweh I will never be a victim of JW brainwashing. If I burn in Hell for eternity or I am ultimately annihilated so be it

      May Yahweh's curse rest on the Watchtower Society and its Satanic leadership

    2. jim mcleodjim mcleod
      Aug 22, 2021 06:16 GMT

      NWT is a false translation that takes away from the deity of Jesus !

  3. SlightlyChaoticSlightlyChaotic
    Jan 30, 2021 16:33 GMT

    Thank you for taking the time to provide this service. I like seeing the NASB on your web page in the same format as I read on paper. On other sites, the text area is smaller, and so I have to keep scrolling down to read and sometimes I lose the context. So I really appreciate the format.

    As far as the NWT, you are certainly free to do whatever you think best with your own web pages. I'd suggest that you make a note anytime you have a translation that is associated with only one denomination or church, for example:
    New World Translation (Jehovah's Witness version).

    In Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares. the main idea seems to be that you can't easily distinguish between God's people and not-God's people on this earth, so our Lord's response is to wait until they are shown to be the kind of people they are inside. But the NWT seems like false teaching to me. So I think the warning passages from Jesus' apostles are more applicable, as in 2 Peter 3:15-16, when he talks about Paul's writings:
    "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures."
    And we also have the positive exhortations, as in 2 Timothy 2:15:
    "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

    1. BroderickBroderick
      Jan 31, 2021 00:57 GMT

      Your suggestion regarding the denominational flagging is duly noted. But I can’t help but wonder, wouldn’t a Catholic also want “Protestant versions” marked as well?

      As for the parable, I’m pretty sure the slaves were convinced in their own minds that they could tell the tares from the wheat. After all, aren’t they the ones who identified the problem in the first place? But the master obviously thought otherwise.

      Furthermore, even at the time when Jesus himself was walking the earth, not everybody who claimed fellowship actually followed him causing John to inquire at Mark 9:39, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him . . . for he who is not against us is for us.”

  4. Joshua HarderJoshua Harder
    Dec 11, 2020 17:48 GMT

    Hello, question.. why have you included the NWT with other legitimate bible translations? Or why have you not atleast included a warning to readers? Don't you fear that someone could be influenced by the Watchtower's intentional heresies? Thank you.

    1. KevinKevin
      Jul 11, 2021 17:45 GMT

      en.m.wikipedia.org/..._Holy_Scriptures

      See the section critical review

    2. ChrisChris
      Jan 8, 2021 07:15 GMT

      Please site these intentional heresies. I am well versed in the watch tower outline and agree they are in many ways incorrect but i also bet i can point many out from EVERY established or main denomination. There is much to learn from them all as one who drinks milk?

      Judge not lest ye be judged, that is not to pass judgement on you either brother.

      I debate with scripture. I don't hold it to be true that Michael is Y'Shua HaMeshiach but I also firmly hold it to be true that our G-d and Heavenly Father are not the word encarnate and only begotten son.

      I love not seeing "lord" which i relate to baal. I feel the catholic church is a satanic establishment and I am aware a freemason started the hovies but there are evil in high places and our fight is also with principalities.

      What i'm saying is that in my darkest hours, those two were some of if not the only ones who would bring a Bible and eucharist and pray with me.

      We all fall short of the glory of G-d.

      Don't forget the NWT was recognized as the most accurate translation on Jeopardy.

      Lastly, this is different I noted than the NWT i have read and am very familiar with. Pull up the watchtower page and compare. I truly look forward to getting this one!

  5. julietjuliet
    Aug 17, 2022 09:36 GMT

    the sky is blue

  6. mercymercy
    Aug 12, 2022 21:23 GMT

    i am Mercy, the sky is blue what else do you need

    1. mercymercy
      Aug 12, 2022 21:25 GMT

      i am so sorry, it was a big mistake

  7. God is able to do all thingsGod is able to do all things
    May 17, 2021 17:59 GMT

    Jesus how much love calling yo name

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