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Ephesians 5:1-17 CEV
. . .Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children.
(2) Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.
(3) You are God's people, so don't let it be said that any of you are immoral or indecent or greedy. (4) Don't use dirty or foolish or filthy words. Instead, say how thankful you are. (5) Being greedy, indecent, or immoral is just another way of worshiping idols. You can be sure that people who behave in this way will never be part of the kingdom that belongs to Christ and to God. (6) Don't let anyone trick you with foolish talk. God punishes everyone who disobeys him and says foolish things. (7) So don't have anything to do with anyone like that. (8) You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light (9) and make your light shine. Be good and honest and truthful, (10) as you try to please the Lord. (11) Don't take part in doing those worthless things that are done in the dark. Instead, show how wrong they are. (12) It is disgusting even to talk about what is done in the dark. (13) But the light will show what these things are really like. (14) Light shows up everything, just as the Scriptures say, "Wake up from your sleep and rise from death. Then Christ will shine on you." (15) Act like people with good sense and not like fools. (16) These are evil times, so make every minute count. (17) Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord () wants you to do.
Ephesians 5:1-17 GNB
. . .Since you are God's dear children, you must try to be like him.
(2) Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God. (3) Since you are God's people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you. (4) Nor is it fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane, or vulgar. Rather you should give thanks to God. (5) You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. (6) Do not let anyone deceive you with foolish words; it is because of these very things that God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him. (7) So have nothing at all to do with such people. (8) You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light, (9) for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth. (10) Try to learn what pleases the Lord. (11) Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light. (12) (It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) (13) And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed; (14) for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. That is why it is said, "Wake up, sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine on you." (15) So be careful how you live. Don't live like ignorant people, but like wise people. (16) Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days. (17) Don't be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord () wants you to do.
Ephesians 5:1-17 GW . . .Imitate God, since you are the children he loves.
(2) Live in love as Christ also loved us. He gave his life for us as an offering and sacrifice, a soothing aroma to God.
(3) Don't let sexual sin, perversion of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you. This is not appropriate behavior for God's holy people. (4) It's not right that dirty stories, foolish talk, or obscene jokes should be mentioned among you either. Instead, give thanks to God. (5) You know very well that no person who is involved in sexual sin, perversion, or greed (which means worshiping wealth) can have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (6) Don't let anyone deceive you with meaningless words. It is because of sins like these that God's anger comes to those who refuse to obey him. (7) Don't be partners with them. (8) Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light. (9) Light produces everything that is good, that has God's approval, and that is true. (10) Determine which things please the Lord. (11) Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. (12) It is shameful to talk about what some people do in secret. (13) Light exposes the true character of everything (14) because light makes everything easy to see. That's why it says: "Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (15) So then, be very careful how you live. Don't live like foolish people but like wise people. (16) Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days. (17) So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord () wants.
Ephesians 5:1-17 NWT . . .Therefore, become imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and go on walking in love, just as the Christ also loved YOU and delivered himself up for YOU as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling odor. 3 Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among YOU, just as it befits holy people; 4 neither shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor obscene jesting, things which are not becoming, but rather the giving of thanks. 5 For YOU know this, recognizing it for yourselves, that no fornicator or unclean person or greedy person—which means being an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive YOU with empty words, for because of the aforesaid things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partakers with them; 8 for YOU were once darkness, but YOU are now light in connection with [the] Lord. Go on walking as children of light, 9 for the fruitage of the light consists of every sort of goodness and righteousness and truth. 10 Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; 11 and quit sharing with [them] in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness, but, rather, even be reproving [them], 12 for the things that take place in secret by them it is shameful even to relate. 13 Now all the things that are being reproved are made manifest by the light, for everything that is being made manifest is light. 14 Wherefore he says: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and the Christ will shine upon you.” 15 So keep strict watch that how YOU walk is not as unwise but as wise [persons], 16 buying out the opportune time for yourselves, because the days are wicked. 17 On this account cease becoming unreasonable, but go on perceiving what the will of Jehovah () is.
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You will note the reference windows often include more than one translation of the Bible. The reason is to strive to gain the best possible understanding of the original Hebrew and Greek. Since we don't speak those languages, we rely on those who have come before and made the effort to translate those texts into English for us. Considering several translations gives the benefit of the understanding of several translation committees or individuals. The Translations we quote are:
ALT - Analytical Literal Translation
ASV - American Standard Version (by the American revision committee in 1897).
BBE - 1965 Bible in Basic English
Bishops - 1568 Bishop's Bible
Calvin - 1856 by Calvin Translation Society
CEV - Contemporary English Version
Coverdale - 1535 Miles Coverdale Bible
Darby - 1889 Darby Bible
DRB - 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible
ESV - English Standard Version
GNB - Good News Bible
GW - God's Word Bible
ISV - International Standard Version
KJV - 1769 King James Version
KJV-1611 - Old King James Version from 1611
LitNT - Literal New Testament
LITV - Literal Translation of the Holy Bible
MKJV - 1962 Modern King James Version
Murdock - 1851 James Murdock New Testament
MWT - Modern World Translation
NWT - New World Translation
RV - Revised Version
Webster - 1833 Webster Bible
WTNT - 1525-26 William Tyndale New Testament
Wycliffe - 1394 Wycliffe Bible
YLT - 1862/1898 Young's Literal Translation
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