Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 4

Feb 14, 2019 at 21:44 Twitter · Facebook

Ephesians 4 NWT - New World Translation

Chapter 4 of Ephesians—New World Translation (NWT)

« Prev
Ephesians 4 of 6
Next »

¶ I, therefore, the prisoner¹ in [the] Lord, entreat YOU to walk worthily² of the calling with which YOU were called,³
with complete lowliness of mind⁴ and mildness, with long-suffering,⁵ putting up with one another in love,⁶
earnestly endeavoring to observe the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace.⁷
One body⁸ there is, and one spirit,⁹ even as YOU were called in the one hope¹⁰ to which YOU were called;
one Lord,¹¹ one faith,¹² one baptism;¹³
one God¹⁴ and Father of all [persons], who is over all and through all and in all.
¶ Now to each one of us undeserved kindness¹⁵ was given according to how the Christ measured out the free gift.¹⁶
Wherefore he^[a] says: “When he ascended on high he carried away captives; he gave gifts [in] men.”^[b]¹⁷
Now the expression “he ascended,”¹⁸ what does it mean but that he also descended into the lower regions, that is, the earth?¹⁹
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]
¶ And he gave some as apostles,²³ some as prophets,²⁴ some as evangelizers,^[d]²⁵ some as shepherds and teachers,²⁶
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
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
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.
But speaking the truth,^[f]³⁴ let us by love grow up³⁵ in all things into him who is the head,³⁶ Christ.
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
¶ 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
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.
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
¶ But YOU did not learn the Christ to be so,⁴⁹
provided, indeed, that YOU heard him and were taught by means of him,⁵⁰ just as truth⁵¹ is in Jesus,
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
but that YOU should be made new in the force actuating YOUR mind,^[j]⁵⁵
and should put on⁵⁶ the new personality⁵⁷ which was created⁵⁸ according to God’s will in true righteousness⁵⁹ and loyalty.
¶ 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
Be wrathful,^[k] and yet do not sin;⁶³ let the sun not set with YOU in a provoked state,⁶⁴
neither allow place for the Devil.⁶⁵
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
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
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
¶ Let all malicious bitterness⁷⁴ and anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech⁷⁵ be taken away from YOU along with all badness.⁷⁶
But become kind⁷⁷ to one another, tenderly compassionate,⁷⁸ freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave YOU.⁷⁹

« Prev
Ephesians 4 of 6
Next »

FOOTNOTES

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

REFERENCES

^ Eph 6:20; Pm 9
^ Pp 1:27
^ Ro 8:30
^ Mt 11:29; Ac 20:19; Ro 12:3; Pp 2:3; 1Pe 5:5
^ 2Co 6:6; 1Th 5:14
^ 1Co 13:4
^ Ro 15:6; 1Co 1:10; Pp 1:27; Col 3:15
^ Ro 12:5; Eph 2:16
^ 1Co 12:4
^ 1Pe 1:3
^ 1Co 8:6; 12:5
^ 2Co 4:13
^ 1Co 12:13
^ 1Co 8:6; 12:6
^ Ro 12:3
^ Ro 12:6; 1Co 12:11; 2Co 9:15
^ Ps 68:18; 1Co 12:28; Eph 4:11
^ Jn 3:13; Ac 2:31
^ Mt 12:40
^ Ac 1:9; 1Ti 3:16
^ Heb 4:14; 9:24
^ Col 1:19
^ Mt 10:2
^ 1Co 12:28
^ Ac 21:8
^ Ac 13:1; Jm 3:1
^ 1Co 12:7
^ 1Co 14:26
^ 1Co 14:20
^ Col 1:28
^ Heb 6:19; Jm 1:6
^ Col 2:18; Heb 13:9; 1Pe 2:1
^ 2Co 11:13
^ 1Jo 3:18
^ Jm 1:4
^ 1Co 11:3; Col 1:18
^ 1Co 12:27
^ Col 2:19
^ 1Pe 4:3
^ Ro 1:21
^ Ac 26:18
^ Ga 4:8; Eph 2:12; Col 1:21
^ Ac 17:30
^ Ro 11:25
^ Ro 1:28
^ 2Co 12:21; Ga 5:19; Jd 4
^ Ro 1:26
^ Is 56:11
^ 1Th 4:4; Heb 7:26
^ 1Th 4:1
^ Jn 1:14
^ Ro 6:6; Col 3:9
^ Ro 8:13
^ Ro 7:23
^ Ps 51:10; Eze 11:19; 18:31; Ro 12:2
^ Ga 3:27
^ Col 3:10
^ Eph 2:10
^ Ps 45:7; Ro 1:17
^ Ac 5:2; Col 3:8
^ Zc 8:16; Col 3:9; Re 21:8
^ Ro 12:5
^ Ps 4:4
^ Le 19:17; Col 3:13; 1Pe 4:8
^ Jm 4:7
^ De 5:19
^ 1Th 4:11; 2Th 3:10
^ Ac 20:35
^ Mt 15:11; Jm 3:10
^ Col 4:6
^ Is 63:10; 2Co 6:1; 1Th 5:19
^ Eph 1:13
^ Ro 8:23
^ Jm 3:14
^ Col 3:8
^ Ti 3:2
^ Mc 6:8; 2Co 6:6
^ Col 3:12; 1Pe 3:8
^ Mt 6:14; 18:35; Mr 11:25; 2Co 2:10

Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 4

FOOTNOTES

REFERENCES

Read Ephesians Chapter 4 in other Bible versions:

Comments