1So then, imitate God since you're his much-loved children.

2Live in love, just as Christ loved you. He gave himself for us, a gift and sacrificial offering to God like a sweet-smelling perfume.

3Sexual immorality or any kind of indecency or greed should never be mentioned concerning you, as God's people should not be doing such things.

4Obscene talk, stupid chatter, and coarse jokes are totally inappropriate—instead you should be thanking God.

5You know it's absolutely sure that no one who is sexually immoral, or commits indecency, or who is greedy, or is an idol-worshiper will inherit anything in the kingdom of Christ and God.

6Don't let anyone fool you with lying words, for it's because of such things that God's judgment comes upon the children of disobedience.

7So don't partner with them in this.

8At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. You are to live as children of light

9(and the fruit of light is everything that's good and right and true),

10demonstrating what the Lord really appreciates.

11Don't have anything to do with the pointless things that darkness produces—instead expose them.

12It's shameful even to speak about the things such people do secretly,

13but when anything is exposed by the light then it's revealed as it is. Light makes everything visible.

14That's why it's said, “Wake up, those of you who are sleeping, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

15So be careful how you live your life, not foolishly, but wisely,

16making the best use of opportunities because the days are evil.

17So don't be ignorant—find out what the Lord's will is.

18Don't get drunk on wine which will wreck your life, but be filled with the Spirit.

19Share together with one another, using psalms and hymns and sacred songs, singing and making music to the Lord to express what you feel.

20Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

21Each of you should be willing to accept what others tell you to do out of reverence for Christ.

22Wives, do what your own husbands tell you to do, as you would if the Lord told you.

23The husband is head of the wife in the same way as Christ is head of the church—his body and its savior.

24In the same way that the church does what Christ says, wives should do what their husbands tell them in all things.

25Husbands, you should love your wives in the same way as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.

26He made it holy, he made it clean by washing in the water of the word, ¹²

27so that he could make the church his own, with no flaw or blemish or any kind of fault, but holy and blameless.

28Husbands should love their wives just like this, as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself—

29for no one ever hated his own body, but feeds it and looks after it, just as Christ does for the church,

30for we are parts of his body.

31“This is why a man leaves his father and mother, and is joined to his wife, and the two are united in one.” ¹³

32This is a deep hidden truth—but I'm talking about Christ and the church.

33However, each husband should love his own wife as he does himself, and the wife should respect her husband.