Ephesios 4
1 Obsecro itaque vos ego vinctus in Domino, ut digne ambuletis vocatione, qua vocati estis,
I beg you, then – I who am a prisoner in the Master’s cause – to live lives worthy of the call that you have received;
2 cum omni humilitate, et mansuetudine, cum patientia, supportantes invicem in caritate,
always humble and gentle, patient, bearing lovingly with one another,
3 solliciti servare unitatem Spiritus in vinculo pacis.
and striving to maintain in the bond of peace the unity given by the Spirit.
4 Unum corpus, et unus Spiritus, sicut vocati estis in una spe vocationis vestræ.
There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there was but one hope set before you when you received your call.
5 Unus Dominus, una fides, unum baptisma.
There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
6 Unus Deus et Pater omnium, qui est super omnes, et per omnia, et in omnibus nobis.
There is but one God and Father of all – the God who is over all, pervades all, and is in all.
7 Unicuique autem nostrum data est gratia secundum mensuram donationis Christi.
Everyone of us, however, has been entrusted with some charge, each in accordance with the extent of the gift of the Christ.
8 Propter quod dicit: Ascendens in altum, captivam duxit captivitatem: dedit dona hominibus.
That is why it is said – “When he went up on high, he led his captives into captivity. And gave gifts to humanity.”
9 Quod autem ascendit, quid est, nisi quia et descendit primum in inferiores partes terræ?
Now surely this “going up” must imply that he had already gone down into the world beneath.
10 Qui descendit, ipse est et qui ascendit super omnes cælos, ut impleret omnia.
He who went down is the same as he who went up – up beyond the highest heaven, so that he might fill all things with his presence.
11 Et ipse dedit quosdam quidem apostolos, quosdam autem prophetas, alios vero evangelistas, alios autem pastores et doctores,
And he it is who gave to the church apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers,
12 ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerii, in ædificationem corporis Christi:
to fit his people for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of the Christ.
13 donec occurramus omnes in unitatem fidei, et agnitionis Filii Dei, in virum perfectum, in mensuram ætatis plenitudinis Christi:
And this will continue, until we all attain to that unity which is given by faith and by a fuller knowledge of the Son of God; until we reach maturity – the full standard of the perfection of the Christ.
14 ut jam non simus parvuli fluctuantes, et circumferamur omni vento doctrinæ in nequitia hominum, in astutia ad circumventionem erroris.
Then we will no longer be like infants, tossed backward and forward, blown about by every breath of human teaching and by people’s trickery and craftiness;
15 Veritatem autem facientes in caritate, crescamus in illo per omnia, qui est caput Christus:
but holding the truth in a spirit of love, we will grow into complete union with him who is our head – Christ himself.
16 ex quo totum corpus compactum et connexum per omnem juncturam subministrationis, secundum operationem in mensuram uniuscujusque membri, augmentum corporis facit in ædificationem sui in caritate.
For from him the whole body, closely joined and knit together by the contact of every part with the source of its life, derives its power to grow, in proportion to the vigour of each individual part; and so is being built up in a spirit of love.
17 Hoc igitur dico, et testificor in Domino, ut jam non ambuletis, sicut et gentes ambulant in vanitate sensus sui,
This, then, as one in union with the Lord, I implore: Do not continue to live such purposeless lives as the Gentiles live,
18 tenebris obscuratum habentes intellectum, alienati a vita Dei per ignorantiam, quæ est in illis, propter cæcitatem cordis ipsorum,
with their powers of discernment darkened, cut off from the life of God, owing to the ignorance that prevails among them and to the hardness of their hearts.
19 qui desperantes, semetipsos tradiderunt impudicitiæ, in operationem immunditiæ omnis in avaritiam.
Lost to all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, in order to practice every kind of impurity without restraint.
20 Vos autem non ita didicistis Christum,
But far different is the lesson you learned from the Christ – if, that is, you really listened to him,
21 si tamen illum audistis, et in ipso edocti estis, sicut est veritas in Jesu,
and through union with him were taught the truth, as it is to be found in Jesus.
22 deponere vos secundum pristinam conversationem veterem hominem, qui corrumpitur secundum desideria erroris.
For you learned with regard to your former way of living that you must cast off your old nature, which, yielding to deluding passions, grows corrupt;
23 Renovamini autem spiritu mentis vestræ,
that the spirit of your minds must be constantly renewed;
24 et induite novum hominem, qui secundum Deum creatus est in justitia, et sanctitate veritatis.
and that you must clothe yourselves in that new nature which was created to resemble God, with the righteousness and holiness springing from the truth.
25 Propter quod deponentes mendacium, loquimini veritatem unusquisque cum proximo suo: quoniam sumus invicem membra.
Since, therefore, you have cast off what is false, you must every one of you speak the truth to your neighbours. For we are united to one another like the parts of a body.
26 Irascimini, et nolite peccare: sol non occidat super iracundiam vestram.
Be angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger;
27 Nolite locum dare diabolo:
and give no opportunity to the devil.
28 qui furabatur, jam non furetur: magis autem laboret, operando manibus suis, quod bonum est, ut habeat unde tribuat necessitatem patienti.
Let the person who steals steal no longer, but rather they should toil with their hands at honest work, so that they may have something to share with anyone in need.
29 Omnis sermo malus ex ore vestro non procedat: sed si quis bonus ad ædificationem fidei ut det gratiam audientibus.
Never let any foul word pass your lips, but only such good words as the occasion demands, so that they may be a help to those who hear them.
30 Et nolite contristare Spiritum Sanctum Dei: in quo signati estis in diem redemptionis.
And do not grieve God’s Holy Spirit; for it was through that Spirit that God sealed you as his, against the day of redemption.
31 Omnis amaritudo, et ira, et indignatio, et clamor, et blasphemia tollatur a vobis cum omni malitia.
Let all bitterness, passion, anger, brawling, and abusive language be banished from among you, as well as all malice.
32 Estote autem invicem benigni, misericordes, donantes invicem sicut et Deus in Christo donavit vobis.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ready to forgive one another, just as God, in Christ, forgave you.
