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.

I, the prisoner of the LORD, then call on 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 lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love,

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

being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;

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

one body and one Spirit, according as you were also called in one hope of your calling;

5 Aƒetɔ ɖeka, xɔse ɖeka kple mawutsideta ɖekae li;

one Lord, one faith, one immersion,

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 you all,

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

and to each one of you was given grace, 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.”

for this reason, it says, “Having gone up on high He led captive captivity, and gave gifts to men.”

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

And that, He went up, what is it except that He also went down first into 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 went down is the same who also went up far above all the heavens, that He may 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 He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] proclaimers of good news, and some [as] shepherds and teachers,

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

to the perfecting of the holy ones, for a work of ministry, for a building up of the body of the 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 may all come to the unity of faith and of the recognition of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of stature of the fullness of the 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,

that we may no longer be children, being tossed by waves and being carried around by every wind of the teaching, in the cunning of men, in craftiness, to the scheming of leading astray,

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.

and [speaking] truth in love, we may increase to Him [in] all things, 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 fitly joined together and united, through the supply of every joint, according to the working in the measure of each single part, the increase of the body makes for the building up of itself 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.

This, then, I say, and I testify in the LORD: you are no longer to walk, as also the other nations walk, in the vanity 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.

being darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,

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 ceased to feel, gave themselves up to the licentiousness, for the working of all uncleanness in greediness;

20 Ke miawo la, menye aleae mienya Kristoe o.

and you did not so learn the Christ,

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

if [it] so be [that] you heard Him, and were taught in Him, as 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.

concerning the former behavior you are to put off the old man, that is corrupt according to the desires of the deceit,

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

and to 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 to put on the new man, which, according to God, was created in righteousness and kindness of the truth.

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

For this reason, putting away the lying, each speak truth with his neighbor, because 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 and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

27 Mègana mɔnukpɔkpɔ Abosam o.

neither give place 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.

whoever is stealing let him no longer steal, but rather let him labor, working the thing that is good with the hands, that he may have to impart to him having 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 corrupt word go forth out of your mouth, but what is good to the necessary building up, that it may give grace to the hearers;

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

and do not make the Holy Spirit of God sorrowful, in which you were sealed to [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, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and slander, be put away 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.

and become kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as God also forgave you in Christ.