I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called,
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with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
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giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
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[There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;
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one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
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one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
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But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
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Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men.
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(Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
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He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
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And he gave some [to be] apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
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for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
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till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
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that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
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but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, [even] Christ;
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from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in [due] measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.
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This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind,
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being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart;
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who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
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But ye did not so learn Christ;
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if so be that ye heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:
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that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit;
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and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
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and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.
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Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
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Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
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neither give place to the devil.
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Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need.
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Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear.
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And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption.
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Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice:
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and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.
1 [A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.] Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.
4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.
12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.
15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.
19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.
24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.
