Ephesians 4

1 I therefore, being prisoner in the Lord, praie you that yee walke worthie of the vocation whereunto yee are called,

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 With all humblenesse of minde, and meekenesse, with long suffering, supporting one an other through loue,

always humble and gentle, patient, bearing lovingly with one another,

3 Endeuouring to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

and striving to maintain in the bond of peace the unity given by the Spirit.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, euen as yee are called in one hope of your vocation.

There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there was but one hope set before you when you received your call.

5 There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptisme,

There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

6 One God and Father of all, which is aboue all, and through all, and in you all.

There is but one God and Father of all – the God who is over all, pervades all, and is in all.

7 But vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Everyone of us, however, has been entrusted with some charge, each in accordance with the extent of the gift of the Christ.

8 Wherfore he saith, Whe he asceded vp on hie, he led captiuity captiue, and gaue gifts vnto men.

That is why it is said – “When he went up on high, he led his captives into captivity. And gave gifts to humanity.”

9 (Nowe, in that hee ascended, what is it but that he had also descended first into the lowest partes of the earth?

Now surely this “going up” must imply that he had already gone down into the world beneath.

10 Hee that descended, is euen the same that ascended, farre aboue all heauens, that hee might fill all things)

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 Hee therefore gaue some to be Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Euangelists, and some Pastours, and Teachers,

And he it is who gave to the church apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers,

12 For the repairing of the Saintes, for the woorke of the ministerie, and for the edification of the bodie of Christ,

to fit his people for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of the Christ.

13 Till we all meete together (in the vnitie of faith and that acknowledging of the Sonne of God) vnto a perfite man, and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ,

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 That we henceforth be no more children, wauering and caried about with euery winde of doctrine, by the deceit of men, and with craftines, whereby they lay in wait to deceiue.

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 But let vs folowe the truth in loue, and in all things, grow vp into him, which is the head, that is, Christ.

but holding the truth in a spirit of love, we will grow into complete union with him who is our head – Christ himself.

16 By whome al the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt, for ye furniture therof (according to the effectual power, which is in the measure of euery part) receiueth increase of the body, vnto the edifying of itselfe in loue.

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 This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord, that yee hencefoorth walke not as other Gentiles walke, in vanitie of their minde,

This, then, as one in union with the Lord, I implore: Do not continue to live such purposeless lives as the Gentiles live,

18 Hauing their vnderstanding darkened, and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardnesse of their heart:

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 Which being past feeling, haue giuen themselues vnto wantonnesse, to woorke all vncleannesse, euen with griedinesse.

Lost to all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, in order to practice every kind of impurity without restraint.

20 But yee haue not so learned Christ,

But far different is the lesson you learned from the Christ – if, that is, you really listened to him,

21 If so be yee haue heard him, and haue bene taught by him, as the trueth is in Iesus,

and through union with him were taught the truth, as it is to be found in Jesus.

22 That is, that yee cast off, concerning the conuersation in time past, that olde man, which is corrupt through the deceiueable lustes,

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 And be renued in the spirit of your minde,

that the spirit of your minds must be constantly renewed;

24 And put on ye new man, which after God is created vnto righteousnes, and true holines.

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 Wherefore cast off lying, and speake euery man truth vnto his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

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 Bee angrie, but sinne not: let not the sunne goe downe vpon your wrath,

Be angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger;

27 Neither giue place to the deuill.

and give no opportunity to the devil.

28 Let him that stole, steale no more: but let him rather labour, and worke with his handes the thing which is good, that hee may haue to giue vnto him that needeth.

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 Let no corrupt comunication proceed out of your mouths: but that which is good, to ye vse of edifying, that it may minister grace vnto the hearers.

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 And grieue not the holy Spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed vnto ye day of redemption.

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 Let all bitternesse, and anger, and wrath, crying, and euill speaking be put away from you, with all maliciousnesse.

Let all bitterness, passion, anger, brawling, and abusive language be banished from among you, as well as all malice.

32 Be ye courteous one to another, and tender hearted, freely forgiuing one another, euen as God for Christes sake, freely forgaue you.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ready to forgive one another, just as God, in Christ, forgave you.