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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//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 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><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="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</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">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Unity with Christ</h3><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_1"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.1" class="v49_4_1">1</span>As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. </span><span class="v49_4_2"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.2" class="v49_4_2">2</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.4.2!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. </span><span class="v49_4_3"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.3" class="v49_4_3">3</span>Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. </span><span class="v49_4_4"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.4" class="v49_4_4">4</span>All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people. </span><span class="v49_4_5"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.5" class="v49_4_5">5</span>We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. </span><span class="v49_4_6"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.6" class="v49_4_6">6</span>There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_7"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.7" class="v49_4_7">7</span>Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us. </span><span class="v49_4_8"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.8" class="v49_4_8">8</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.4.8!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> As the Scriptures say,</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v49_4_8">“When he went up</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v49_4_8">to the highest place,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v49_4_8">he led away many prisoners</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v49_4_8">and gave gifts to people.”</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_9"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.9" class="v49_4_9">9</span>When it says, “he went up,” it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. </span><span class="v49_4_10"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.10" class="v49_4_10">10</span>This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so he would fill the whole universe.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_11"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.11" class="v49_4_11">11</span>Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, </span><span class="v49_4_12"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.12" class="v49_4_12">12</span>so his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. </span><span class="v49_4_13"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.13" class="v49_4_13">13</span>This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.<a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.4.13!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_14"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.14" class="v49_4_14">14</span>We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. </span><span class="v49_4_15"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.15" class="v49_4_15">15</span>Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head </span><span class="v49_4_16"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.16" class="v49_4_16">16</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.4.16!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.</span></p><h3 class="s1">The Old Life and the New Life</h3><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_17"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.17" class="v49_4_17">17</span>As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. </span><span class="v49_4_18"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.18" class="v49_4_18">18</span>Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, </span><span class="v49_4_19"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.19" class="v49_4_19">19</span>and they are so greedy they do all kinds of indecent things.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_20"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.20-Eph.4.21" class="v49_4_20">20-21</span>But this isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. </span><span class="v49_4_22"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.22" class="v49_4_22">22</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.4.22!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. </span><span class="v49_4_23"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.23" class="v49_4_23">23</span>Let the Spirit change your way of thinking </span><span class="v49_4_24"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.24" class="v49_4_24">24</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.4.24!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Rules for the New Life</h3><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_25"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.25" class="v49_4_25">25</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.4.25!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. </span><span class="v49_4_26"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.26" class="v49_4_26">26</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.4.26!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry </span><span class="v49_4_27"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.27" class="v49_4_27">27</span>and don't give the devil a chance.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_28"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.28" class="v49_4_28">28</span>If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_29"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.29" class="v49_4_29">29</span>Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_30"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.30" class="v49_4_30">30</span>Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v49_4_31"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.31" class="v49_4_31">31</span>Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. </span><span class="v49_4_32"><span class="reftext" id="Eph.4.32" class="v49_4_32">32</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Eph.4.32!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.13 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">and we will be completely like him: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “and he is completely perfect.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. 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