Ephesians · Bible in Basic English
Ephesians 4 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 I then, the prisoner in the Lord, make this request from my heart, that you will see that your behaviour is a credit to the position which God's purpose has given you,
1 Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε,
2 With all gentle and quiet behaviour, taking whatever comes, putting up with one another in love;
2 μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πρᾳότητος, μετὰ μακροθυμίας, ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων ἐν ἀγάπῃ,
3 Taking care to keep the harmony of the Spirit in the yoke of peace.
3 σπουδάζοντες τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς εἰρήνης.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, even as you have been marked out by God in the one hope of his purpose for you;
4 ἓν σῶμα καὶ ἓν Πνεῦμα, καθὼς καὶ ἐκλήθητε ἐν μιᾷ ἐλπίδι τῆς κλήσεως ὑμῶν·
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
5 εἷς Κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα·
6 One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
6 εἷς Θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ πάντων, ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων, καὶ διὰ πάντων, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡμῖν.
7 But to every one of us has grace been given in the measure of the giving of Christ.
7 Ἑνὶ δὲ ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν ἐδόθη [ἡ] χάρις κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
8 For this reason he says, He went up on high, taking his prisoners with him, and gave freely to men.
8 διὸ λέγει· ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος ᾐχμαλώτευσεν αἰχμαλωσίαν καὶ ἔδωκε δόματα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις.
9 (Now this, He went up, what is it but that he first went down into the lower parts of the earth?
9 τὸ δὲ ἀνέβη τί ἐστιν εἰ μὴ ὅτι καὶ κατέβη πρῶτον εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς;
10 He who went down is the same who went up far over all the heavens so that he might make all things complete.)
10 ὁ καταβὰς αὐτός ἐστι καὶ ὁ ἀναβὰς ὑπεράνω πάντων τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὰ πάντα.
11 And he gave some as Apostles, and some, prophets; and some, preachers of the good news; and some to give care and teaching;
11 καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκε τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους,
12 For the training of the saints as servants in the church, for the building up of the body of Christ:
12 πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
13 Till we all come to the harmony of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to full growth, to the full measure of Christ:
13 μέχρι καταντήσωμεν οἱ πάντες εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
14 So that we may be no longer children, sent this way and that, turned about by every wind of teaching, by the twisting and tricks of men, by the deceits of error;
14 ἵνα μηκέτι ὦμεν νήπιοι, κλυδωνιζόμενοι καὶ περιφερόμενοι παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας, ἐν τῇ κυβείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐν πανουργίᾳ πρὸς τὴν μεθοδείαν τῆς πλάνης,
15 But saying true words in love, may come to full growth in him, who is the head, even Christ;
15 ἀληθεύοντες δὲ ἐν ἀγάπῃ αὐξήσωμεν εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ πάντα, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλή, ὁ Χριστός,
16 Through whom all the body, being rightly formed and united together, by the full working of every part, is increased to the building up of itself in love.
16 ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα συναρμολογούμενον καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν ἐν μέτρῳ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου μέρους τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ σώματος ποιεῖται εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ.
17 This I say, then, and give witness in the Lord, that you are to go no longer in the way of the Gentiles whose minds are turned to that which has no profit,
17 Τοῦτο οὖν λέγω καὶ μαρτύρομαι ἐν Κυρίῳ, μηκέτι ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν καθὼς καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη περιπατεῖ ἐν ματαιότητι τοῦ νοὸς αὐτῶν,
18 Whose thoughts are dark, to whom the life of God is strange because they are without knowledge, and their hearts have been made hard;
18 ἐσκοτισμένοι τῇ διανοίᾳ, ὄντες ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν τὴν οὖσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς διὰ τὴν πώρωσιν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν,
19 Who having no more power of feeling, have given themselves up to evil passions, to do all unclean things with overmuch desire.
19 οἵτινες, ἀπηλγηκότες, ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ.
20 For this was not the teaching of Christ which was given to you;
20 ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν,
21 If in fact you gave ear to him, and were given teaching in him, even as what is true is made clear in Jesus:
21 εἴγε αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε, καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ,
22 That you are to put away, in relation to your earlier way of life, the old man, which has become evil by love of deceit;
22 ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης,
23 And be made new in the spirit of your mind,
23 ἀνανεοῦσθαι δὲ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν
24 And put on the new man, to which God has given life, in righteousness and a true and holy way of living.
24 καὶ ἐνδύσασθαι τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν κατὰ Θεὸν κτισθέντα ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ὁσιότητι τῆς ἀληθείας.
25 And so, putting away false words, let everyone say what is true to his neighbour: for we are parts one of another.
25 Διὸ ἀποθέμενοι τὸ ψεῦδος λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν ἕκαστος μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἐσμὲν ἀλλήλων μέλη.
26 Be angry without doing wrong; let not the sun go down on your wrath;
26 ὀργίζεσθε, καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε· ὁ ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν,
27 And do not give way to the Evil One.
27 μηδὲ δίδοτε τόπον τῷ διαβόλῳ.
28 Let him who was a thief be so no longer, but let him do good work with his hands, so that he may have something to give to him who is in need.
28 ὁ κλέπτων μηκέτι κλεπτέτω, μᾶλλον δὲ κοπιάτω ἐργαζόμενος τὸ ἀγαθὸν ταῖς χερσίν, ἵνα ἔχῃ μεταδιδόναι τῷ χρείαν ἔχοντι.
29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for giving necessary teaching, and for grace to those who give ear.
29 πᾶς λόγος σαπρὸς ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω, ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις ἀγαθὸς πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς χρείας, ἵνα δῷ χάριν τοῖς ἀκούουσι.
30 And do not give grief to the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were marked for the day of salvation.
30 καὶ μὴ λυπεῖτε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἐσφραγίσθητε εἰς ἡμέραν ἀπολυτρώσεως.
31 Let all bitter, sharp and angry feeling, and noise, and evil words, be put away from you, with all unkind acts;
31 πᾶσα πικρία καὶ θυμὸς καὶ ὀργὴ καὶ κραυγὴ καὶ βλασφημία ἀρθήτω ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν σὺν πάσῃ κακίᾳ.
32 And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.
32 γίνεσθε δὲ εἰς ἀλλήλους χρηστοί, εὔσπλαγχνοι, χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς καθὼς καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν Χριστῷ ἐχαρίσατο ἡμῖν.
Cross references (32)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Colossians 1:10; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2; 2 Peter 1:3
- 2 Colossians 3:12–13; 1 Corinthians 13:7; 1 Corinthians 13:4–5; Matthew 11:29; Romans 15:1
- 3 1 Corinthians 1:10; Colossians 3:13–15; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13; John 13:34; Romans 14:17–19
- 4 Ephesians 2:18; Romans 12:4–5; 1 Corinthians 12:4–13; 1 Corinthians 12:20; Ephesians 4:1
- 5 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Peter 3:21; Romans 3:30; Galatians 3:26–28
- 6 Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Malachi 2:10; Galatians 3:26–28; Galatians 4:3–7
- 7 Romans 12:3; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11; Ephesians 3:2; Romans 12:6–8
- 8 Psalm 68:18; Colossians 2:15
- 9 John 3:13; Matthew 12:40; Proverbs 30:4; John 6:33; Psalm 63:9
- 10 Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 4:14; Ephesians 1:20–23; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 9:23–24
- 11 Jeremiah 3:15; 1 Corinthians 12:28–29; Ephesians 2:20; 2 Timothy 4:5; Acts 20:28
- 12 1 Thessalonians 5:11–14; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 15:14; 1 Corinthians 14:4–5
- 13 Colossians 1:28; John 17:21; Ephesians 4:3; Ephesians 4:5; Jeremiah 32:38–39
- 14 Hebrews 13:9; Romans 16:17–18; 1 Corinthians 14:20; 1 John 4:1; Hebrews 5:12–14
- 15 1 John 3:18; Ephesians 4:25; Zechariah 8:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Peter 3:18
- 16 Colossians 2:19; John 15:5; Colossians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 13:13–14:1; Ephesians 4:15
- 17 Romans 1:21; 1 Peter 4:3–4; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2; Colossians 3:5–8; Ephesians 2:1–3
- 18 Matthew 13:15; Ephesians 2:12; Romans 1:21–23; John 12:40; 1 Thessalonians 4:5
- 19 Colossians 3:5; Romans 1:24–26; 1 Timothy 4:2; Jude 11; 2 Peter 2:12–14
- 20 Titus 2:11–14; John 6:45; Matthew 11:29; 1 John 2:27; Luke 24:47
- 21 1 John 5:20; Ephesians 1:13; Hebrews 3:7–8; 1 John 5:10–12; John 14:17
- 22 Romans 6:6; Hebrews 12:1; James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1–2; Hebrews 3:13
- 23 Romans 12:2; Romans 8:6; Psalm 51:10; Colossians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:13
- 24 Colossians 3:10–14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 13:14; Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 6:11
- 25 Colossians 3:9; Zechariah 8:16; Proverbs 12:22; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:15
- 26 James 1:19; Psalm 4:4; Psalm 37:8; Ephesians 4:31–32; Ecclesiastes 7:9
- 27 James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:16; Ephesians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 2:10–11
- 28 1 Timothy 6:18; Galatians 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; Exodus 20:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:11–12
- 29 Colossians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Ecclesiastes 10:12; Proverbs 15:7; Colossians 3:8–9
- 30 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 1:13–14; Acts 7:51; Genesis 6:6
- 31 Colossians 3:8; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Titus 3:2–3; 1 Peter 2:1; James 1:19
- 32 Colossians 3:12–13; Matthew 6:14–15; Mark 11:25; 1 Peter 3:8–9; 2 Corinthians 2:10
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
When the blessed Paul exhorts us to anything of special importance, so truly wise and spiritual as he is, he grounds his exhortation upon things in Heaven: this itself being a lesson he had learned from the Lord. Thus he saith also elsewhere, "Walk in love, even as Christ also hath loved us." (ch. v.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
It is declared then in these Scriptures, "Be ye angry, and sin not," and, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Happy is he who remembers this, which I believe to be the case with you.
Now, that this God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul the apostle also has declared, [saying,] "There is one God, the Father, who is above all, and through all things, and in us all." I have indeed proved already that there is only one God; but I shall further demonstrate this from the apostles themselves, and from …
But that orator was of the kind that I so loved as I wished myself to be such a one; and I erred through an inflated pride, and was "carried about with every wind," but yet was piloted by Thee, though very secretly.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For this cause Paul also, when urging us in another way to reconciliation, said, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." For much as Christ by this argument of the sacrifice, so there Paul by that of the day, is urging us on to the self-same point.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)