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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Ephesians 4 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ephesians/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/ephesians/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > Ephesians 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../ephesians/3.htm" title="Ephesians 3">◄</a> Ephesians 4 <a href="../ephesians/5.htm" title="Ephesians 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/ephesians/4.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">Unity in the Body</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>one God and Father of all,</p><p class="line1">who is over all, in all, and living through all.</p><p class="b"/><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>However, he has given each one of us a special gift<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a> through the generosity of Christ. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>That is why the Scriptures say, </p><p class="b"/><p class="line1">“When he ascended to the heights,</p><p class="line2">he led a crowd of captives</p><p class="line2">and gave gifts to his people.”<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a></p><p class="b"/><p class="m"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">c</span></a> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.</p><p class="hdg">Living as Children of Light</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">d</span></a> Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>for anger gives a foothold to the devil.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">e</span></a> guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">4:7 </span><span class="ft">Greek </span><span class="it">a grace.</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">4:8 </span><span class="ft">Ps 68:18.</span><br><span class="fn">c</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">4:9 </span><span class="ft">Some manuscripts read </span><span class="it">to the lower parts of the earth.</span><br><span class="fn">d</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">4:26 </span><span class="ft">Ps 4:4.</span><br><span class="fn">e</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">4:30 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="it">has put his seal on you.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of <a href="http://www.tyndale.com">Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.</a>, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. 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