1 I, THE prisoner of the Lord, beg you, then, to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called,
2 with all modesty and gentleness, being slow to anger, bearing with one another in love,
3 earnest in keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called with one hope that belongs to your calling,
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Therefore it says, "He ascended on high; he led away captives; he gave gifts to men."
9 What does "he ascended" mean, except that he had descended into the lowest parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is also he who "ascended" high above all the heavens to fill all things.
11 And he "gave" to some to be apostles, some prophets, some tellers of the good news, some shepherds and teachers,
12 for the equipment of the saints, for the work of service, for building up the body of Christ,
13 until we all attain oneness in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, and the maturity of manhood and the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we shall be no longer children tossed and borne about by every wind of teaching through the trickery of men and craftiness in the devices of deceit,
15 but speaking the truth in love we shall grow wholly into him who is the head, Christ,
16 from whom the whole body framed together and strengthened by what every joint supplies vigorously, in the measure of each, makes growth in building itself up in love.
17 This then I say and solemnly protest in the Lord: that you are no longer to live as the Gentiles live in vacancy of mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, aliens from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, and because of the hardness of their hearts.
19 Lost to any sense of shame they have abandoned themselves to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if you have heard him and have been taught in him as the truth is in Jesus,
22 that you should put away the old man who belonged to your former way of life and was perishing in deluding passions,
23 and that you should be made new in the spirit of your minds
24 and put on the new man formed as God approves in the righteousness and holiness of truth.
25 Therefore put aside lying and speak truth every one to his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
26 "Be angry and do not sin." Do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 neither give place for the Devil.
28 He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor, working with his own hands something good, so as to have something to share with any one in need.
29 Let no vile word come out of your mouth, but, if anything, a good word for needed upbuilding of character to give grace to those who hear.
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you have been sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and clamor and abusive language be put away from you with every kind of malice.
32 Be kind to one another, sympathetic, forgiving one another just as God in Christ has forgiven you.