Ephesians 4:17

Ephesians 4:17
(KJV) This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
(1611 KJV) This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord, that yee henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in the vanitie of their minde,
(1587 Geneva Bible) This I say therefore and testifie in the Lorde, that yee hencefoorth walke not as other Gentiles walke, in vanitie of their minde,
(1526 Tyndale) This I saye therfore and testifie in ye lorde that ye hence forth walke not as other gentyls walke in vanitie of their mynde

Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) 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,
(1901 ASV) 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,
(AMP) So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.
(CEB) So I’m telling you this, and I insist on it in the Lord: you shouldn’t live your life like the Gentiles anymore. They base their lives on pointless thinking,
(CEV) As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people.

(CSB) Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their thoughts.

(Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition) This then I say and testify in the Lord: That henceforward you walk not as also the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind,
(ERV) I have something from the Lord to tell you. I warn you: Don’t continue living like those who don’t believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing.
(ESV) Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.
(GNB) In the Lord's name, then, I warn you: do not continue to live like the heathen, whose thoughts are worthless
(HCSB) Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.
(JB Phillips) This is my instruction, then, which I give you from God. Do not live any longer as the Gentiles live.
(LB) Let me say this, then, speaking for the Lord: Live no longer as the unsaved do, for they are blinded and confused.
(THE MESSAGE) And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd.
(NASV) So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
(NCV) In the Lord’s name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing.
(NET) So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
(NIRV) Here is what I’m telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live like those who aren’t Jews. Their thoughts don’t have any purpose.
(NIV) So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
(NLV) I tell you this in the name of the Lord: You must not live any longer like the people of the world who do not know God. Their thoughts are foolish.
(NLT) With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.
(RSV) Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds;
(VOICE) Therefore, as a witness of the Lord, I insist on this: that you no longer walk in the outsiders’ ways—with minds devoted to worthless pursuits.
(2011 NAB - Roman Catholic) So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds;
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) So this is what I say and bear witness to in the Lord, that you should no longer go on walking just as the nations also walk,

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
τουτο ουν λεγω και μαρτυρομαι εν κυριω μηκετι υμας περιπατειν καθως και τα λοιπα εθνη περιπατει εν ματαιοτητι του νοος αυτων

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
τουτο ουν λεγω και μαρτυρομαι εν κυριω μηκετι υμας περιπατειν καθως και τα εθνη περιπατει εν ματαιοτητι του νοος αυτων

Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit (original)
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century (original)
33 (Minuscule) - Ninth Century

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit (corrected)
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century (corrected)
K 018 - Ninth century
L 020 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omits “other” before “gentiles”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902

Affected Teaching
Here the Apostle Paul is addressing the Gentile believers in Ephesus. They were saved out of the Gentile lifestyle which contained much debauchery. Paul is admonishing them that they must not live like the other Gentiles who are not regenerated. There may have been those at Ephesus who were doing nothing but vain things which were of no spiritual value and this may have been what precipitated the letter of Ephesians and this portion about becoming Christians who are in concert with the Word of God and the body of Christ to help build it and not hinder its growth. There are Christians in every congregation who are of no value to the body of Christ. I mean, if they would move to an uninhabited Island in the South Pacific, things would go on as usual. We are being admonished that we need to get busy for the kingdom of Christ.

Too many times Christians are more skillful in the ways of the world rather than the ways of Christ. Their walk seems to reflect that they are not even Christians and the great distinction between unbelievers and Christians is that the Christian is to be sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ and the unbeliever is sold out to the things of the world. Our jobs or social position can never be used to define who we are. If we belong to Christ, then we are to identify with His kingdom, even if it brings persecution here on earth. Christians cannot have mental affinity with unbelievers because our minds have been regenerated. When the modern versions exchange “other” for “the” it looks like Paul is addressing the Jews but he is addressing the Gentile converts in Ephesus reminding them that they must not live like their past lifestyle.

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