Efesotɔwo 4

1 Nye, ame si le ga me le afi sia ɖe Aƒetɔ la subɔsubɔ ta lae le kuku ɖem na mi, be mianɔ agbe nyuie, eye miadze na yɔyɔ tɔxɛ sia.

As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:

2 Mibɔbɔ mia ɖokuiwo, eye mifa tu. Migbɔ dzi ɖi, eye miatsɔ ake mia nɔewo le lɔlɔ̃ me.

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

3 Midze agbagba mianɔ anyi le Gbɔgbɔ la ƒe ɖekawɔwɔ kple ŋutifafa me.

and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

4 Ŋutilã ɖeka kple Gbɔgbɔ ɖekae li, abe ale si woyɔ mi na mɔkpɔkpɔ ɖeka ene.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;

5 Aƒetɔ ɖeka, xɔse ɖeka kple mawutsideta ɖekae li;

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

6 Mawu ɖekae kple Fofo ɖeka na mí katã, ame si nye nuwo katã, eye wòle nu sia nu me.

one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

7 Ke wotsɔ amenuveve na mía dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe abe ale si Kristo na mí ene.

Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Esia ta woŋlɔ ɖi be, “Esi wòlia yi dzi la, eɖe aboyo ame geɖewo dzoe, eye wòna nunana amewo.”

This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”

9 (“Eɖi va anyi” gɔme ɖe? Egɔmee nye be eɖi va anyigba, yi ɖe keke anyigba tume ke.

What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?

10 Eya ame si ɖi va anyi la, eya kee lia yi dzi ʋĩi, gbɔ dziƒowo ŋu ʋĩi, be wòayɔ xexea me katã.)

He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.

11 Eyae na ame aɖewo nye apostolowo, ame aɖewo nye nyagblɔɖilawo, ame aɖewo hã nye nyanyuigblɔlawo, ame aɖewo nye osɔfowo kple nufialawo,

And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

12 be woadzra Mawu ƒe amewo ɖo hena subɔsubɔ ƒe dɔwɔwɔwo, be woatu Kristo ƒe ŋutilã ɖo

to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,

13 va se ɖe esime míewɔ ɖeka le xɔse kple sidzedze Mawu ƒe Vi la me, eye míetsi hede blibo le Kristo me.

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

14 Ekema míaganɔ abe ɖeviwo ene o, ame siwo anɔ yiyim, anɔ gbɔgbɔm abe ale si ƒutsotsoe kple ya lɔa nu ɖe nu ene, to amewo ƒe alakpanufiafiawo, ayedzedze kple beble nuwɔnawo me o,

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.

15 ke boŋ míagblɔ nyateƒe na mía nɔewo le lɔlɔ̃ me, ale be le nuwo katã me la, míatsi, ali ke le Kristo, ame si nye ta na hame la me.

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.

16 Tso eya amea me la, wolé ŋutilã la ƒo ƒu helé wo nɔewo ɖe asi, eye ŋutilã la tsina le lɔlɔ̃ me, elabena ŋutinuwo katã le woƒe dɔwo wɔm.

From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.

17 Azɔ la, mele esia gblɔm na mi, eye mele gbe tem ɖe edzi le Aƒetɔ la me be miaganɔ agbe azɔ abe ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo ene le woƒe tamesusu ƒe dzodzronyenye me o.

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

18 Ame siawo la, woƒe susuwo me do viviti, eye woma ɖa tso Mawu gbɔ, elabena wole agbe le numanyamanya me le woƒe dzimesesẽ ta.

They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.

19 Esi ŋukpe aɖeke megale mo na wo o ta la, wotsɔ wo ɖokuiwo na nu tovo wɔwɔ, ale be woakpɔ gome le ŋunyɔnu ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi wɔwɔ me, eye wole nu sia wɔwɔ dzi ɣe sia ɣi.

Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.

20 Ke miawo la, menye aleae mienya Kristoe o.

But this is not the way you came to know Christ.

21 Vavã miese eŋkɔ, eye wofia nu mi le eya amea me, le nyateƒe si le Yesu me la nu.

Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus—

22 Wofia nu mi ku ɖe miaƒe agbenɔnɔ xoxo la ŋuti, be miaɖe asi le agbenɔnɔ xoxo la ŋuti, agbe si le tsɔtsrɔ̃mɔ dzi, to eƒe beblenudzodzrowo me.

to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

23 Ele be miaƒe nɔnɔme kple miaƒe susuwo nanɔ tɔtrɔm yeyee,

to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;

24 eye mianɔ agbe yeye si wowɔ wòle abe Mawu ene le dzɔdzɔenyenye vavã kple kɔkɔenyenye me.

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Esia ta ele be mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe naɖe aʋatsokaka ɖa, eye wòagblɔ nyateƒe na nɔvia, elabena ŋutinu ɖekawo míenye.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.

26 Nenye be èdo dɔmedzoe la, mègawɔ nu vɔ̃ o. Mègana ɣe naɖo to ɖe wo dɔmedzoe dzi o.

“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,

27 Mègana mɔnukpɔkpɔ Abosam o.

and do not give the devil a foothold.

28 Ame si nye fiafitɔ la, nedzudzɔ fififi, newɔ dɔ, netsɔ eƒe asiwo wɔ dɔ nyui, si aɖe vi nɛ be wòakpɔ nane ana hiãtɔwo.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

29 Migana nya vlo aɖeke megado go le mia nu o, ke boŋ migblɔ nya siwo nyo, eye woate ŋu ado ŋusẽ ame siwo le esem la, eye wòaɖe vi na eselawo.

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

30 Migado nuxaxa na Mawu ƒe Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la o, elabena eyae wotsɔ de dzesi mi hena miaƒe ɖeɖekpɔkpɔ.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31 Miɖe asi le dɔmedzoedodo helĩhelĩ, dziku, dzrewɔwɔ, ameŋugbegblẽ, fuléle kple nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ ƒomevi ɖe sia ɖe ŋu.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.

32 Miwɔ dɔmenyo, eye miakpɔ nublanui na mia nɔewo. Mitsɔ mia nɔewo ƒe nu vɔ̃wo ke abe ale si Mawu hã tsɔ nu vɔ̃ ke mí le Kristo me ene.

Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.