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ParallelVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Eph 5 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 V31 V32 V33
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) So imitate God like valued children would imitate their father![]()
OET-LV Therefore be_becoming imitators of_ the _god as beloved children,![]()
SR-GNT Γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ ˚Θεοῦ ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά, ‡
(Ginesthe oun mimaʸtai tou ˚Theou hōs tekna agapaʸta,)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children,
UST Because of what God has done for you, imitate him just as children imitate the father who loves them dearly.
BSB Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
MSB (Same as BSB above)
BLB Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
AICNT Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children;
OEB Therefore imitate God, as his dear children,
WEBBE Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.
WMBB (Same as above)
NET Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children
LSV Become, then, followers of God, as beloved children,
FBV So then, imitate God since you're his much-loved children.
TCNT Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children,
T4T ◄Imitate/Behave like► God, because he loves you who are as though you were [SIM] his children.
LEB Therefore become imitators of God, as beloved children,
BBE Let it then be your desire to be like God, as well-loved children;
Moff Copy God, then, as his beloved children,
Wymth Therefore be imitators of God, as His dear children.
ASV Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children;
DRA Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children;
YLT Become, then, followers of God, as children beloved,
Drby Be ye therefore imitators of [fn]God, as beloved children,
5.1 Elohim
RV Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children;
(Be ye/you_all therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; )
SLT Be ye therefore imitators of God, as dearly beloved children;
Wbstr Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
KJB-1769 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
(Be ye/you_all therefore followers of God, as dear children; )
KJB-1611 ¶ Be ye therefore followers of God, as deare children.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)
Bshps Be ye therefore folowers of God, as deare chyldren:
(Be ye/you_all therefore folowers of God, as dear children:)
Gnva Bee yee therefore followers of God, as deare children,
(Be ye/you_all therefore followers of God, as dear children, )
Cvdl Be ye the folowers therfore of God as deare children,
(Be ye/you_all the folowers therefore of God as dear children,)
TNT Be ye folowers of god as dere children
(Be ye/you_all folowers of god as dear children )
Wycl Therfor be ye foloweris of God, as moost dereworthe sones;
(Therefore be ye/you_all foloweris of God, as most dear/precious sons;)
Luth So seid nun Gottes Nachfolger als die lieben Kinder!
(So are now God’s Afterfolger as the love(v) children!)
ClVg Estote ergo imitatores Dei, sicut filii carissimi,
(Estote therefore imitators of_God, like children carissimi, )
UGNT γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά,
(ginesthe oun mimaʸtai tou Theou hōs tekna agapaʸta,)
SBL-GNT γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά,
(ginesthe oun mimaʸtai tou theou, hōs tekna agapaʸta,)
RP-GNT Γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά·
(Ginesthe oun mimaʸtai tou theou, hōs tekna agapaʸta;)
TC-GNT [fn]Γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά·
(Ginesthe oun mimaʸtai tou Theou, hōs tekna agapaʸta; )
5:1 γινεσθε ¦ γεινεσθε TH
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).
5:1 Imitate God . . . in everything you do: Primarily by expressing love (5:2; cp. Matt 5:44-45, 48).
• because you are his dear children: Just as children follow their parents’ example, believers should follow God’s example (1 Cor 4:14-17).
In chapter 5, Paul continued with the subject of Christian behavior, which he had begun in the last section of chapter 4. So it is not necessary to start a new section here. One reason to start a new section here is to help the reader, as the previous section is already long. Some English versions begin a new section at 5:1 (BSB, GNT, NLT, NET, GW, NCV, ESV, NASB, NKJV), and some do not (NIV, RSV, NRSV, NJB, CEV, REB, KJV). You may want to consult your national translation and follow their example.
In this section, Paul exhorted the Christians to imitate God and avoid the sins of the pagan people surrounding them.
Here are some other examples for a heading for this section:
Living in the light (GNT, NLT, NCV)
Imitate God (GW)
Be imitators of God, therefore,
¶ Therefore, imitate God,
¶ So in conclusion behave like God,
Be imitators of God: The word “imitate” means “to copy the behavior, appearance, or speech, of another person.” People who are imitators of God are those who “behave in the same way as God.”
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
try to be like God (GNT, NCV)
do as God does (CEV)
therefore: The conjunction therefore links 4:32 to 5:1 as an expanded conclusion. In 4:32 Paul said that we should be kind, considerate and forgive others just as God has forgiven us. In 5:1, Paul made a conclusion with a more general statement and expanded on it in the following verses. We should follow God’s example in all our behavior.
In some languages, it will not be natural to translate this conjunction here. Some English versions leave it untranslated.
Here is another way to translate this conjunction:
In conclusion
as beloved children,
since you are his children whom he loves very much.
because he is your heavenly father and he loves you very much.
as beloved children: Here Paul figuratively refers to his readers as as beloved children of God. It should be clear in your translation that that the beloved children are God’s rather than Paul’s. Some translations make this explicit. For example:
because you are his dear children (NLT)
since you are the children he loves (GW)
Since you are God’s dear children (GNT)
See love, meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.
If it is more natural in your language to reverse 5:1a–b, you may want to do so. For example:
5:1bSince you are God’s dear children, 5:1ayou must try to be like him. (GNT)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ
˓be˒_becoming (Some words not found in SR-GNT: γίνεσθε Οὖν μιμηταί τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of imitators, you could express the same idea in another way.The word imitators is a verbal noun, and can be translated with a verb. Alternate translation: [Therefore, imitate God] or [Therefore you should do what God does.]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
οὖν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: γίνεσθε Οὖν μιμηταί τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά)
The connecting word Therefore introduces a reason-result relationship. Paul continues to tell the believers how they should and should not live as God’s children. The reason (stated in [Ephesians 4:32](../04/32.md)) is that God has forgiven us through Christ. The result (stated here) is that believers should imitate what God is like. Use a phrase in your language that connects a reason to a result.
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά
as children beloved
God desires us to imitate or follow him since we are his spiritual children. Alternate translation: [as dearly loved children imitate their fathers] or [because you are his children and he loves you dearly]