Efesotɔwo 2
1 Miawo la, miezu ame kukuwo ɖe miaƒe vodadawo kple nu vɔ̃
You yourselves were once dead because of your offenses and sins.
2 siwo me mienɔ, esi miedze xexea me kple yame ƒe dziɖula yome, gbɔgbɔ si le dɔ wɔm fifia le ame siwo gbe toɖoɖo Aƒetɔ la ƒe dziwo me la ta. (aiōn g165)
For at one time you lived in sin, following the ways of the world, in subjection to the Ruler of the powers of the air – the Spirit who is still at work among the disobedient. (aiōn g165)
3 Mí katã míenɔ ko abe ame mawo ene tsã, míaƒe agbe ɖea nu vɔ̃ɖi siwo le mía me la fiana, eye míewɔa nu vɔ̃ siwo me míaƒe ŋutilã ƒe nudzodzrowo kple susu vɔ̃wo kplɔa mí denae. Míedze agbe baɖa nɔnɔ gɔme, elabena wodzi mí kple dzɔdzɔme vɔ̃ɖi, ale míenɔ Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoe la te abe ame bubu ɖe sia ɖe ene.
And it was among them that we all once lived our lives, indulging the cravings of our earthly nature, and carrying out the desires prompted by that earthly nature and by our own thoughts. Our nature exposed us to the divine wrath, like the rest of humanity.
4 Gake ɖe lɔlɔ̃ gã si wòtsɔ na mí ta la, Mawu, ame si nye nublanuikpɔla la
Yet God, in his abundant compassion, and because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 na agbe mí le Kristo me, togbɔ be míenye nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo hã la, amenuveve wòtsɔ ɖe mie.
even though we were dead because of our offenses, gave life to us in giving life to the Christ. (By God’s loving kindness you have been saved.)
6 Eye Mawu fɔ mi ɖe tsitre kple Kristo, eye wòna míenɔ anyi kplii le dziƒonutowo me le Kristo Yesu me,
And, through our union with Christ Jesus, God raised us with him, and caused us to sit with him on high,
7 be le ɣeyiɣi siwo ava me la, yeaɖe yeƒe kesinɔnu kple amenuveve sɔ gbɔ si wòɖe fia to eƒe dɔmenyonyo me la afia mí le Kristo Yesu me. (aiōn g165)
in order that, by his goodness to us in Christ Jesus, he might display in the ages to come the boundless wealth of his loving kindness. (aiōn g165)
8 Le eƒe amenuveve sɔ gbɔ la ta la, miekpɔ ɖeɖe to Kristo dzixɔse me, menye nu siwo tso míawo ŋutɔ gbɔ o; ke boŋ enye Mawu ƒe nunana,
For it is by God’s loving kindness that you have been saved, through your faith. It is not due to yourselves; the gift is God’s.
9 menye le dɔ siwo miewɔ la ta o, be ame aɖeke naƒo adegbe o.
It is not due to obedience to Law, so that no one can boast.
10 Elabena Mawu ƒe nuwɔwɔwo míenye, ame siwo wowɔ le Kristo Yesu me hena dɔ nyuiwo wɔwɔ, dɔ siwo Mawu dzra ɖo ɖi na mí be míawɔ la.
For we are God’s handiwork, created, by our union with Christ Jesus, for the good actions in doing which God had pre-arranged that we should spend our lives.
11 Eya ta miɖo ŋku edzi be tsã la, mi ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo tso dzidzime o, eye ame siwo yɔa wo ɖokuiwo be “aʋatsotsotɔwo” (nu si amewo tsɔa asi wɔnɛ) la yɔa mi be “aʋamatsomatsotɔwo” la,
Remember, therefore, that you were once Gentiles yourselves, as your bodies showed; you were called ‘the Uncircumcised’ by those who were called ‘the Circumcised’ – circumcised only by human hands!
12 miɖo ŋku edzi be ɣe ma ɣi la, miete ɖa tso Kristo gbɔ, mienye Israeltɔwo o, eye mienye amedzrowo na nubabla si wowɔ tso ŋugbedodo la me, mɔkpɔkpɔ kple Mawu menɔ mia si le xexea me o.
Remember that you were at that time far from Christ; you were shut out from the citizenship of Israel; you were strangers to the covenants founded on God’s promise; you were in the world without hope and without God.
13 Gake azɔ la, mienye Kristo Yesu tɔ, eye togbɔ be mienɔ adzɔge ke tsã tso Mawu gbɔ hã la, azɔ wokplɔ mi va egbɔe, to Yesu Kristo ƒe ʋu la me.
But now, through your union with Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have, by the shedding of the blood of the Christ, been brought near.
14 Elabena eya ŋutɔe nye míaƒe ŋutifafa. Ewɔ ŋutifafa le mí Yudatɔwo kple mi ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la dome, eye wòɖe mɔxenu la ɖa, eye wòɖe mama ƒe gli si nɔ mía dome tsã la ɖa.
He it is who is our peace. He made the two divisions of humanity one, broke down the barrier that separated them,
15 To eƒe ŋutilã me la, eɖe se la kple eƒe ɖoɖowo ɖa. Eƒe taɖodzinue nye be yeawɔ ame yeye ɖeka tso ame eveawo me le eɖokui me, be ŋutifafa nanɔ wo dome,
and in his human nature put an end to the cause of enmity between them – the Law with its injunctions and ordinances – in order to create, through union with himself, from Jew and Gentile, one new humanity and so make peace.
16 eye le ŋutilã ɖeka sia me la, wòana woazu ɖeka kple Mawu to atitsoga la dzi, eye wòatsrɔ̃ woƒe fuléle la.
And when, on the cross, he had destroyed their mutual enmity, he sought by means of his cross to reconcile them both to God, united in one body.
17 Eva gblɔ ŋutifafa nyanyui la na mi ame siwo nɔ adzɔge ke tso egbɔ, eye wògblɔ ŋutifafa na ame siwo te ɖe eŋu la.
He came with the good news of peace for you who were far off, and of peace for those who were near;
18 To eya amea me la, mí katã míate ŋu ayi Fofo la gbɔ to Gbɔgbɔ ɖeka ma dzi.
for it is through him that we, the Jews and the Gentiles, united in the one Spirit, are now able to approach the Father.
19 Esia ta mieganye amedzrowo o, ke boŋ mi kple Mawu ƒe amewo mienye ame ɖeka, Mawu ƒe aƒemetɔwo kple Mawu ƒe dumetɔwo,
It follows, then, that you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but are fellow citizens with Christ’s people and members of God’s household.
20 siwo wotu ɖe apostolowo kple nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe gɔmeɖokpe la dzi, eye Kristo Yesu ŋutɔ nye dzogoedzikpe gã la.
You have been built up on the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.
21 Le eya amea me la, wote xɔ la katã ƒo ƒu be wòakɔ azu gbedoxɔ kɔkɔe na Aƒetɔ la.
United in him, every part of the building, closely joined together, will grow into a temple, consecrated by its union with the Lord.
22 Le eya amea me la, wowɔ miawo hã ɖekae be miazu nɔƒe si Mawu anɔ to eƒe Gbɔgbɔ la me.
And, through union in him, you also are being built up together, to be a place where God lives through the Spirit.
