Walk in Love
1 Therefore rbe imitators sof God, as beloved children. 2 And twalk uin love, as Christ loved us vand wgave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But xsexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 yLet there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 zFor you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous a(that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you bwith empty words, for cbecause of these things the wrath of God comes upon the dsons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for eat one time you were fdarkness, but now you are light in the Lord. gWalk as hchildren of light 9 (for the ifruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to jdiscern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 kTake no part in the unfruitful lworks of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But mwhen anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
n“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will oshine on you.”
15 Look carefully then phow you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the qdays are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but runderstand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get sdrunk with wine, for that is debauchery, tbut be filled with the Spirit, 19 uaddressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the vname of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 wsubmitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives and Husbands
22 xWives, ysubmit to your own husbands, zas to the Lord. 23 For athe husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the bhead of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 cHusbands, love your wives, as Christ dloved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might esanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 fso that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be gholy and without blemish.1 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as htheir own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because iwe are jmembers of his body. 31 k“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and lthe two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mmystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
2 Every way of a man is hright in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 iTo do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp1 of the wicked, are sin.
5 jThe plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but keveryone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
6 The getting of treasures lby a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.2
7 mThe violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
8 The way of the guilty is ncrooked,
but the conduct of the pure is upright.
9 oIt is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
11 When a scoffer is punished, the psimple becomes wise;
when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
12 The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;
he throws the wicked down to ruin.
13 qWhoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.
14 rA gift in secret averts anger,
and a concealed bribe,3 strong wrath.
15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
sbut terror to evildoers.
16 One who wanders from the way of good sense
will rest in the assembly of the dead.
17 tWhoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;
he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,
and the traitor for the upright.
19 uIt is better to live in a desert land
than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,
but a foolish man devours it.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
will find vlife, righteousness, and honor.
22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty
and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 Whoever wkeeps his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.
24 “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man
who acts with arrogant pride.
25 xThe desire of the sluggard kills him,
for his hands refuse to labor.
26 All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous ygives and does not hold back.
27 zThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more when he brings it with evil intent.
28 A afalse witness will perish,
but the word of a man who hears will endure.
29 A wicked man puts on a bold face,
but the upright bgives thought to4 his ways.
30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.
31 cThe horse is made ready for the day of battle,
dbut the victory belongs to the Lord.
