Ephesians 4

1 I urge you therefore, I the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness of mind and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, [a] 3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: 4 one body and one Spirit, just as you were also called in one hope of your calling; † 5 one Lord, one faith, one immersion; [b] 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

7 But to each one of us the favor was given according to the measure of the Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says: [c]

9 Now what does “he went up” mean, except that he also went down into the lower parts of the earth? [d] 10 The one who went down is himself also the one who went up far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things. 11 And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as ones who bring the good news, some as shepherds and teachers, [e] 12 for the equipping of the holy ones, for a work of service, for the building up of the body of the Christ, [f] 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a complete man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ, [g]

14 so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and carried around by every wind of teaching, in the dice-play of men, in craftiness toward the scheming of deceit; [h] 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, [i] 16 out of whom the whole body, fitted together and held together through every joint of the supply, according to the working in measure of each single part, makes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

17 This therefore I say and testify in the Lord: that you no longer walk as the nations also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their thinking, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart, 19 who, having become past feeling, handed themselves over to indecency, for the working of all uncleanness in greed.

20 But you did not learn the Christ this way, 21 if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus: 22 to put off, as concerns your former way of life, the old man who is being corrupted according to the desires of deceit, 23 and to be made new in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new man, the one created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25 Therefore, putting off the lie, each of you speak truth with his neighbor, because we are limbs of one another. [j] 26 Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your provocation, [k] † 27 and do not give place to the Accuser. [l] 28 Let the one who steals steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working the good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.

29 Let no rotten word come out of your mouth, but only what is good for building up the need, so that it may give favor to those who hear. [m] 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for a day of ransoming. [n] 31 Let all bitterness and rage and wrath and shouting and blasphemy be taken away from you, along with all badness. [o] 32 Become kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other just as God also in Christ forgave you. [p]