Ephesians 4

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

1I am in prison because I belong to the Lord. I ask you to live in a way that fits the life God called you to.

2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

2Be humble and gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love.

3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

3Work hard to stay together as one, with peace holding you together.

4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

4There is one body and one Spirit. God called you all to one hope.

5One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

5There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, the washing that shows you belong to him.

6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

6There is one God, the Father of all. He is over all, through all, and in all.

7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

7Every one of us has been given grace, God's free kindness. Christ decides how much each one gets.

8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

8That is why the Scripture says: "When he went up high, he led his captives away. He gave gifts to people."

9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

9"He went up" must mean he first came down, down to the lower parts of the earth.

10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

10The one who came down is the same one who went up, higher than all the heavens. He did this to fill everything.

11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

11He gave some people to be apostles, the ones he sent out. Some are prophets, who speak God's words. Some tell the good news. Some are pastors and teachers, who care for God's people and teach them.

12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

12He did this to get God's people ready for the work of serving, and to build up the body of Christ.

NoteThe KJV says "perfecting of the saints." "Saints" means all of God's people, not a few special ones. "Perfecting" means getting them ready for the job, not making them faultless.

13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

13This goes on until we are all one in faith and in knowing the Son of God. Then we will be grown up, as full and complete as Christ.

14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

14Then we will not be like babies anymore. We will not be tossed like waves by every new teaching. Clever people will not be able to trick us with their sneaky plans.

15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

15Instead we will speak the truth in love. In every way we will grow up into Christ, who is the head.

16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

16The whole body is joined to him and held together. Every joint helps. Each part does its own work, and the body grows and builds itself up in love.

17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

17So I tell you this, and I say it firmly before the Lord. Do not live the way people who do not know God live. Their thinking goes nowhere.

18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

18Their minds are dark. They are shut out from the life God gives. They do not know him, because their hearts have grown hard.

19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

19They have stopped feeling shame. They have handed themselves over to shameful, dirty things, and they always want more.

20But ye have not so learned Christ;

20But this is not what you learned about Christ.

21If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

21You really did hear about him. You were taught about him, and the truth is in Jesus.

22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

22You were taught to take off your old way of living, like taking off old clothes. That old self is being ruined by desires that lie to you.

NoteIn the KJV, "conversation" does not mean talking. It means the whole way a person lives.

23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

23Let God make your mind and your heart new.

24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

24Put on the new self, like new clothes. God made it to be like him, doing right and truly holy.

25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

25So stop lying. Each of you tell your neighbor the truth. We all belong to one another.

26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

26"Be angry, but do not sin." Do not still be angry when the sun goes down.

Note"Let not the sun go down upon your wrath" means do not carry your anger into the night.

27Neither give place to the devil.

27Do not give the devil any room.

28Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

28Anyone who has been stealing must stop. Work instead. Do good with your own hands. Then you will have something to give to someone in need.

29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

29Do not let harmful talk come out of your mouth. Say what helps and builds people up. Let your words be kind to the ones who hear them.

30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

30Do not make God's Holy Spirit sad. He is the mark that shows you belong to God, until the day God sets you free.

31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

31Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger. Get rid of shouting and mean words about people. Get rid of every wish to hurt.

32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

32Be kind to one another. Have soft hearts. Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of Christ.