Ephesians 5
The full text of Ephesians 5 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children,
2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.
4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
5 For of this you can be sure: no immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
15 Be very careful, then, how you walk—not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit—singing and making music from your heart to the Lord,
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, to your own husbands as to the Lord,
23 for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for it, just as Christ does the church—
30 for we are members of his body.
31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Translation notes (8)
- Ephesians 5:5a Due to Greek grammar, where a single grammatical article (like 'the' in English) is used for both 'Christ' and 'God,' the phrase 'the kingdom of Christ and of God' may refer to a single kingdom belonging to Christ, who is God, or to a kingdom belonging to Christ and God together.
- Ephesians 5:14a This is likely an early Christian hymn or a verse used in baptism, drawing on Isaiah 60:1; its exact origin is not known.
- Ephesians 5:18a The Greek phrase *en pneumati*, translated as 'with the Spirit,' could also be understood as 'in spirit' or 'by the Spirit'—referring to either the means by which one is filled or the content of that filling.
- Ephesians 5:21a The Greek word *hypotassomenoi*, translated as the participle 'submitting,' grammatically continues a series of participles from verse 18 (speaking, singing, giving thanks). This submission is mutual, meaning 'to one another,' and the sense of this verb is carried over into verse 22, which in the best manuscripts does not have its own verb.
- Ephesians 5:22a The earliest and most reliable manuscripts, such as P46 and Vaticanus, do not contain a verb in this verse; the meaning of 'submit' is understood from the participle in verse 21. Later manuscripts, however, added a verb (such as 'submit yourselves' or 'let them submit'), which is why most translations include one. This grammatical structure intentionally connects this instruction to the mutual submission mentioned in verse 21.
- Ephesians 5:23a The meaning of the Greek word *kephale*, translated as 'head,' is debated: it can convey the sense of authority or leadership, or it can mean source or origin (like the headwaters of a river). The Greek word itself allows for both interpretations, and the surrounding text does not definitively choose one.
- Ephesians 5:31a This verse quotes Genesis 2:24.
- Ephesians 5:33a The word 'Respect' translates the Greek word phobetai, which literally means 'fear'—here in the sense of deep respect or reverence, not terror.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own translation of Scripture, made directly from the original Greek rather than revised from an older English Bible. Completed in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation available, and it is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Reading the TBV here on the web is free — the full study edition, with original-language tools and notes on every verse, lives in the Trinity Bible app.
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