Eph 5 | NASB2020 | STEP | Therefore be imitators of God , as beloved children ;

1 ^aTherefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and ^bwalk in love, just as Christ also ^cloved ^{▼▼One early ms us}you and ^egave Himself up for us, an ^foffering and a sacrifice to God ^{▼▼Lit for an odor of fragrance}as a ^hfragrant aroma.

3 But ⁱsexual immorality ^{▼▼Lit and all}or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among ^{▼▼Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people}saints; 4 and there must be no ^lfilthiness ^{▼▼Lit and}or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which ⁿare not fitting, but rather ^ogiving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that ^pno sexually immoral or ^{▼▼I.e., morally impure}impure or greedy person, which ^{▼▼Lit is}amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom ^sof Christ and God.

6 ^tSee that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things ^uthe wrath of God comes upon ^vthe ^{▼▼I.e., people opposed to God}sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become ^xpartners with them; 8 for ^yyou were once ^zdarkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as ^aachildren of light 9 (for ^abthe fruit of the light consists in all ^acgoodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 ^{▼▼Lit putting to the test what
,} ^aeas you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 ^afDo not participate in the useless ^agdeeds of ^ahdarkness, but instead even ^aiexpose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible ^ajwhen they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason ^{▼▼Or He}it says,

“ ^alAwake, sleeper,
And arise from ^amthe dead,
And Christ ^anwill shine on you.”
15 So then, ^{▼▼Lit look carefully}be careful how you ^apwalk, not ^aqas unwise people but as wise, 16 ^{▼▼Lit redeeming the time
,} ^asmaking the most of your time, because ^atthe days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but ^auunderstand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And ^avdo not get drunk with wine, ^{▼▼Or by which}in which there is ^axdebauchery, but be ^ayfilled with the Spirit, 19 ^azspeaking to ^{▼▼Or yourselves}one another in ^bbpsalms and ^bchymns and spiritual ^bdsongs, ^besinging and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; 20 ^bfalways giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our ^bgGod and Father; 21 ^{▼▼Lit being submissive to
,} ^biand subject yourselves to one another in the ^{▼▼Or reverence for
,} ^bkfear of Christ.

Marriage like Christ and the Church

22 ^blWives, ^bmsubject yourselves to your own husbands, ^bnas to the Lord. 23 For ^bothe husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the ^bphead of the church, He Himself ^bqbeing the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

25 ^brHusbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ^bsgave Himself up for her, 26 ^btso that He might sanctify her, having ^bucleansed her by the ^bvwashing of water with ^bwthe word, 27 that He might ^bxpresent to Himself the church ^{▼▼Lit glorious}in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be ^bzholy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to ^calove their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are ^cbparts of His ^ccbody. 31 ^cdFor this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to ^celove his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she ^cfrespects her husband.