Waefeso 4
1 Basi, mimi niliye mfungwa wa Bwana, nawasihi mwenende kama inavyostahili wito wenu mlioitiwa.
I, then, the prisoner for the Master's sake, entreat you to live and act as becomes those who have received the call that you have received--
2 Kwa unyenyekevu wote na upole, mkiwa wavumilivu, mkichukuliana kwa upendo.
with all lowliness of mind and unselfishness, and with patience, bearing with one another lovingly, and earnestly striving to maintain,
3 Jitahidini kudumisha umoja wa Roho katika kifungo cha amani.
in the uniting bond of peace, the unity given by the Spirit.
4 Kuna mwili mmoja na Roho mmoja, kama vile mlivyoitwa katika tumaini moja.
There is but one body and but one Spirit, as also when you were called you had one and the same hope held out to you.
5 Tena kuna Bwana mmoja, imani moja, ubatizo mmoja,
There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 Mungu mmoja ambaye ni Baba wa wote, aliye juu ya yote, katika yote na ndani ya yote.
and one God and Father of all, who rules over all, acts through all, and dwells in all.
7 Lakini kila mmoja wetu amepewa neema kwa kadiri ya kipimo cha kipawa cha Kristo.
Yet to each of us individually grace was given, measured out with the munificence of Christ.
8 Kwa hiyo husema: “Alipopaa juu zaidi, aliteka mateka, akawapa wanadamu vipawa.”
For this reason Scripture says: "He re-ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and gave gifts to men."
9 (Asemapo “alipaa juu,” maana yake nini isipokuwa ni kusema pia kwamba Kristo alishuka pande za chini sana za dunia?
(Now this "re-ascended" --what does it mean but that He had first descended into the lower regions of the earth?
10 Yeye aliyeshuka ndiye alipaa juu zaidi kupita mbingu zote, ili apate kuujaza ulimwengu wote.)
He who descended is the same as He who ascended again far above all the Heavens in order to fill the universe.)
11 Ndiye aliweka wengine kuwa mitume, wengine kuwa manabii, wengine kuwa wainjilisti, wengine kuwa wachungaji na walimu,
And He Himself appointed some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers,
12 kwa kusudi la kuwakamilisha watakatifu kwa ajili ya kazi za huduma, ili kwamba mwili wa Kristo upate kujengwa
in order fully to equip His people for the work of serving--for the building up of Christ's body--
13 mpaka sote tutakapoufikia umoja katika imani na katika kumjua sana Mwana wa Mungu na kuwa watu wazima kwa kufikia kimo cha ukamilifu wa Kristo.
till we all of us arrive at oneness in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and at mature manhood and the stature of full-grown men in Christ.
14 Ili tusiwe tena watoto wachanga, tukitupwatupwa huku na huku na kuchukuliwa na kila upepo wa mafundisho kwa hila za watu, kwa ujanja, kwa kufuata njia zao za udanganyifu.
So we shall no longer be babes nor shall we resemble mariners tossed on the waves and carried about with every changing wind of doctrine according to men's cleverness and unscrupulous cunning, making use of every shifting device to mislead.
15 Badala yake, tukiambiana kweli kwa upendo, katika mambo yote tukue, hata tumfikie yeye aliye kichwa, yaani, Kristo.
But we shall lovingly hold to the truth, and shall in all respects grow up into union with Him who is our Head, even Christ.
16 Kutoka kwake, mwili wote ukiwa umeungamanishwa na kushikamanishwa pamoja kwa msaada wa kila kiungo, hukua na kujijenga wenyewe katika upendo, wakati kila kiungo kinafanya kazi yake.
Dependent on Him, the whole body--its various parts closely fitting and firmly adhering to one another-- grows by the aid of every contributory link, with power proportioned to the need of each individual part, so as to build itself up in a spirit of love.
17 Hivyo nawaambia hivi, nami nasisitiza katika Bwana kwamba, msiishi tena kama watu wa Mataifa waishivyo, katika ubatili wa mawazo yao.
Therefore I warn you, and I implore you in the name of the Master, no longer to live as the Gentiles in their perverseness live,
18 Watu hao akili zao zimetiwa giza na wametengwa mbali na uzima wa Mungu kwa sababu ya ujinga wao kutokana na ugumu wa mioyo yao.
with darkened understandings, having by reason of the ignorance which is deep-seated in them and the insensibility of their moral nature, no share in the Life which God gives.
19 Wakiisha kufa ganzi, wamejitia katika mambo ya ufisadi na kupendelea kila aina ya uchafu, wakiendelea kutamani zaidi.
Such men being past feeling have abandoned themselves to impurity, greedily indulging in every kind of profligacy.
20 Lakini ninyi, hivyo sivyo mlivyojifunza Kristo.
But these are not the lessons which you have learned from Christ;
21 Kama hivyo ndivyo ilivyo, ninyi mmemsikia, tena mmefundishwa naye, vile kweli ilivyo katika Yesu.
if at least you have heard His voice and in Him have been taught--and this is true Christian teaching--
22 Mlifundishwa kuuvua mwenendo wenu wa zamani, utu wenu wa kale, ulioharibiwa na tamaa zake za udanganyifu,
to put away, in regard to your former mode of life, your original evil nature which is doomed to perish as befits its misleading impulses,
23 ili mfanywe upya roho na nia zenu,
and to get yourselves renewed in the temper of your minds and clothe yourselves
24 mkajivike utu mpya, ulioumbwa sawasawa na mfano wa Mungu katika haki yote na utakatifu.
with that new and better self which has been created to resemble God in the righteousness and holiness which come from the truth.
25 Kwa hiyo kila mmoja wenu avue uongo na kuambiana kweli mtu na jirani yake, kwa maana sisi sote tu viungo vya mwili mmoja.
For this reason, laying aside falsehood, every one of you should speak the truth to his fellow man; for we are, as it were, parts of one another.
26 Mkikasirika, msitende dhambi, wala jua lisichwe mkiwa bado mmekasirika,
If angry, beware of sinning. Let not your irritation last until the sun goes down;
27 wala msimpe ibilisi nafasi.
and do not leave room for the Devil.
28 Yeye ambaye amekuwa akiiba, asiibe tena, lakini lazima ajishughulishe, afanye kitu kifaacho kwa mikono yake mwenyewe, ili awe na kitu cha kuwagawia wahitaji.
He who has been a thief must steal no more, but, instead of that, should work with his own hands in honest industry, so that he may have something of which he can give the needy a share.
29 Maneno mabaya yasitoke vinywani mwenu, bali yale yafaayo kwa ajili ya kuwajenga wengine kulingana na mahitaji yao, ili yawafae wale wasikiao.
Let no unwholesome words ever pass your lips, but let all your words be good for benefiting others according to the need of the moment, so that they may be a means of blessing to the hearers.
30 Wala msimhuzunishe Roho Mtakatifu wa Mungu, ambaye kwake mlitiwa muhuri kwa ajili ya siku ya ukombozi.
And beware of grieving the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you have been sealed in preparation for the day of Redemption.
31 Ondoeni kabisa uchungu, ghadhabu, hasira, makelele na masingizio pamoja na kila aina ya uovu.
Let all bitterness and all passionate feeling, all anger and loud insulting language, be unknown among you--and also every kind of malice.
32 Kuweni wafadhili na wenye kuhurumiana ninyi kwa ninyi, mkisameheana, kama vile naye Mungu katika Kristo alivyowasamehe ninyi.
On the contrary learn to be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.
