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.
So then, as the prisoner in the Lord I urge you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
2 Mibɔbɔ mia ɖokuiwo, eye mifa tu. Migbɔ dzi ɖi, eye miatsɔ ake mia nɔewo le lɔlɔ̃ me.
with all humility and courtesy, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 Midze agbagba mianɔ anyi le Gbɔgbɔ la ƒe ɖekawɔwɔ kple ŋutifafa me.
taking pains to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the 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 also were called in one hope of your calling),
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 us all.
7 Ke wotsɔ amenuveve na mía dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe abe ale si Kristo na mí ene.
Now to each one of us the grace according to the measure of Christ's gift was given.
8 Esia ta woŋlɔ ɖi be, “Esi wòlia yi dzi la, eɖe aboyo ame geɖewo dzoe, eye wòna nunana amewo.”
That is why He says, “When He ascended into the heights He captured the concentration camp, and distributed 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’ imply if not that He also first descended into the interior regions 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 also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might 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,
Yes, He Himself 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
for the equipping of the saints into the work of the ministry, so as 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 attain into the unity of the faith and of the real knowledge of the Son of God, into a complete man, into the resulting full 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,
so that we no longer be ‘infants’, tossed about as by waves and carried off by every doctrinal fad, through the underhanded dealings of the people who collect the fee for the error;
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.
rather, speaking the truth in love, let us in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, the Christ;
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 whom the whole body, being fitted and knit together by what every joint supplies, as each individual part does its work, promotes its own growth, its own edification, in love.
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 then, I affirm and insist on this in the Lord: you must no longer carry on as the rest of the Gentiles do, in the futility of their mind,
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.
having been darkened in their understanding, being alienated [as a continuing condition] from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening 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.
who, having become dead to hope, have abandoned themselves to depravity, greedily indulging in every kind of vileness.
20 Ke miawo la, menye aleae mienya Kristoe o.
Now that is not how you ‘learned Christ’—
21 Vavã miese eŋkɔ, eye wofia nu mi le eya amea me, le nyateƒe si le Yesu me la nu.
if indeed you have heard Him and been taught by Him (as the truth 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.
that you put away, concerning your former way of life, the old man (that keeps on being corrupted by the deceitful desires),
23 Ele be miaƒe nɔnɔme kple miaƒe susuwo nanɔ tɔtrɔm yeyee,
and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 eye mianɔ agbe yeye si wowɔ wòle abe Mawu ene le dzɔdzɔenyenye vavã kple kɔkɔenyenye me.
and put on the new man, created in the likeness of 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, having put away falsehood, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are 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 but do not sin’; do not let the sun set on your angry mood,
27 Mègana mɔnukpɔkpɔ Abosam o.
nor give an opportunity to the devil.
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.
The one who steals must steal no longer, but rather let him work, doing something good with his hands, that he may have something to share with someone 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 evil word proceed from your mouth, but only what is good for edification, as needed, that it may impart grace to those who hear.
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, with 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.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and slander be removed from you, with all 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.
Rather, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God forgave you.
