Eph.4.17

And so I insist--and God backs me up on this--that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd.

Eph.4.17

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

Eph.4.17

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

Eph.4.17

With the Lord's authority let me say this: Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly confused.

Eph.4.18

They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself.

Eph.4.18

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

Eph.4.18

having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

Eph.4.18

Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him.

Eph.4.19

They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

Eph.4.19

Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

Eph.4.19

who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Eph.4.19

They don't care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.

Eph.4.20

But that's no life for you. You learned Christ!

Eph.4.20

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.

Eph.4.20

But you have not so learned Christ,

Eph.4.20

But that isn't what you were taught when you learned about Christ.

Eph.4.21

My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus.

Eph.4.21

Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.

Eph.4.21

if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Eph.4.21

Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus,

Eph.4.22

Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything--and I do mean everything--connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life--a God-fashioned life,

Eph.4.22

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

Eph.4.22

that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

Eph.4.22

throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception.

Eph.4.23

a life renewed from the inside

Eph.4.23

to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

Eph.4.23

and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Eph.4.23

Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes.

Eph.4.24

and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

Eph.4.24

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Eph.4.24

and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Eph.4.24

You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness--righteous, holy, and true.

Eph.4.25

What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

Eph.4.25

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Eph.4.25

Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.

Eph.4.25

So put away all falsehood and "tell your neighbor the truth" because we belong to each other.

Eph.4.26

Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry--but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry.

Eph.4.26

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

Eph.4.26

"Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

Eph.4.26

And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry,

Eph.4.27

Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

Eph.4.27

and do not give the devil a foothold.

Eph.4.27

nor give place to the devil.

Eph.4.27

for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.

Eph.4.28

Did you used to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work.

Eph.4.28

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Eph.4.28

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

Eph.4.28

If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need.

Eph.4.29

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

Eph.4.29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Eph.4.29

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Eph.4.29

Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Eph.4.30

Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted.

Eph.4.30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Eph.4.30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Eph.4.30

And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Eph.4.31

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk.

Eph.4.31

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Eph.4.31

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

Eph.4.31

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.

Eph.4.32

Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

Eph.4.32

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Eph.4.32

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Eph.4.32

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Eph.5.1

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.

Eph.5.1

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children

Eph.5.1

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Eph.5.1

Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

Eph.5.2

Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Eph.5.2

and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Eph.5.2

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Eph.5.2

Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.

Eph.5.3

Don't allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed.

Eph.5.3

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.

Eph.5.3

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

Eph.5.3

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

Eph.5.4

Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, Christians 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.

Eph.5.4

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Eph.5.4

neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Eph.5.4

Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes--these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.

Eph.5.5

You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them--the usual variations on idolatry--will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.

Eph.5.5

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Eph.5.5

For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Eph.5.5

You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world.

Eph.5.6

Don't let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him.

Eph.5.6

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

Eph.5.6

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Eph.5.6

Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible anger of God comes upon all those who disobey him.

Eph.5.7

Don't even hang around people like that.

Eph.5.7

Therefore do not be partners with them.

Eph.5.7

Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Eph.5.7

Don't participate in the things these people do.