1 Copy God, then, as his beloved children,
2 and lead lives of love, just as Christ loved you and gave himself up for you to be a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 Never let any sexual vice or impurity or lust be so much as mentioned by you ??that is the proper course for saints to take;
4 no, nor indecent, silly, or scurrilous talk ??all that is improper. Rather, voice your thanks to God.
5 Be sure of this, that no one guilty of sexual vice or impurity or lust (that is, an idolater) possesses any inheritance in the realm of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with specious arguments; these are the vices that bring down God's anger on the sons of disobedience.
7 So avoid the company of such men.
8 For while once upon a time you were darkness, now in the Lord you are light; lead the life of those who are children of the light
9 (for the fruit of light consists in all that is good and right and true),
10 verifying what pleases the Lord.
11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless enterprises of the darkness; rather expose them.
12 One is indeed ashamed even to speak about what such men do in secret;
13 still, whatever the light exposes becomes illuminated ??for anything that is illuminated turns into light.
14 Thus it is said, 'Wake up, O sleeper, and rise from the dead; so Christ will shine upon you.'
15 Be strictly careful then about the life you lead; act like sensible men, not like thoughtless;
16 make the very most of your time, for these are evil days.
17 So do not be senseless, but understand what is the Lord's will;
18 and do not get drunk with wine ??that means profligacy ??but be filled with the Spirit,
19 converse with one another in the music of psalms, in hymns, and in songs of the spiritual life, praise the Lord heartily with words and music,
20 and render thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ at all times and for all things.
21 Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord,
23 for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also (though he is the saviour of the Body) is the head of the church;
24 as the church is subject to Christ, so wives are to be subject to their husbands in every respect.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
26 to consecrate her by cleansing her in the bath of baptism as she utters her confession,
27 in order to have the church as his very own, standing before him in all her glory, with never a spot or wrinkle or any such flaw, but consecrated and unblemished.
28 So ought husbands to love their wives ??to love them as their own bodies (he who loves his wife loves himself).
29 For no one ever hates his flesh; no, he nourishes and cherishes it (just as Christ does the church
30 for we are members of his Body).
31 Therefore shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the pair shall be one flesh.
32 This is a profound symbol, I mean as regards Christ and the church.
33 However, let every man of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife reverence her husband.