Ephesians, 5

1. As most beloved children of God, strive to imitate him.

2. Follow the way of love, the example of Christ who loved you. He gave himself up for us and became the offering and sacrificial victim whose fragrance rises to God.

3. And since you are holy, there must not be among you even a hint of sexual immorality or greed, or any kind of impurity: these should not be named among you.

4. So too for scandalous words, nonsense and foolishness, which are not fitting; instead offer thanksgiving to God.

5. Know this: no depraved, impure or covetous person who serves the god 'Money' shall have part in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6. Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for these are the sins which God is about to condemn in people who do not obey.

7. Do not associate with such people.

8. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Behave as children of light;

9. the fruits of light are kindness, justice and truth in every form.

10. You yourselves search out what pleases the Lord,

11. and take no part in works of darkness that are of no benefit; expose them instead.

12. Indeed it is a shame even to speak of what those people do in secret,

13. but as soon as it is exposed to the light, everything becomes clear.

14. And what has become clear becomes light. Therefore it is said: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead that the light of Christ may shine on you."

15. Pay attention to how you behave. Do not live as the unwise do, but as responsible persons.

16. Try to make good use of the present time, because these days are evil.

17. So do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.

18. Do not get drunk: wine leads to levity; but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

19. Gather together to pray with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and celebrate the Lord in your heart,

20. giving thanks to God the Father in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord, always and for everything.

21. Let all kinds of submission to one another become obedience to Christ.

22. So wives to their husbands: as to the Lord.

23. The husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, of whom he is also the Savior.

24. And as the Church submits to Christ, so let a wife submit in everything to her husband.

25. As for you, husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her.

26. He washed her and made her holy by baptism in the Word.

27. As he wanted a radiant Church without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless, he himself had to prepare and present her to himself.

28. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

29. And no one has ever hated his body; he feeds and takes care of it. That is just what Christ does for the Church,

30. because we are a part of his body.

31. Scripture says: Because of this a man shall leave his father and mother to be united with his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

32. This is a very great mystery, and I refer to Christ and the Church.

33. As for you, let each one love his wife as himself, and let the wife respect her husband.