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, then, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling, by which you are called,

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

with all humility and meekness; with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love;

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

earnestly endeavoring to preserve the unity of the Spirit by 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; as also you have been called with 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 with all, and in you all.

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

But to every one of us is given favor, 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.”

(Wherefore he says, Having ascended on high, he captivated captivity, and gave gifts to men.

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

Now, this--Having ascended, what is it, unless, indeed, he had also descended 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 descended, is the same 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,

And he gave some, indeed, Apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

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

for the adapting of these saints to the work of the ministry, for the edification of 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.

till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God; to a perfect man; to the measure of the stature of the fullness 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,

that we may be no longer children, tossed and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sight of men, and by cunning craftiness for an artifice of seduction:

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.

but speaking the truth in love, we may all grow into him, who is the Head, even 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, fitly joined together, and compacted by the service of every joint, according to the energy, in the proportion of each particular part, effects the increase of the body, for the edification 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, therefore, I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer as the rest of the Gentiles 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.

having their understandings darkened; being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness 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, being past feeling, have abandoned themselves to lasciviousness, to commit all uncleanness with greediness.

20 Ke miawo la, menye aleae mienya Kristoe o.

But you have not so 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 have 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, with respect to your former conduct, you put away the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

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

that you 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 that you put on the new man; which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness.

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

Wherefore, putting away lying, speak the truth every one to his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

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

Do not sin, through anger; let not the sun go down upon your wrath,

27 Mègana mɔnukpɔkpɔ Abosam o.

neither 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.

Let him that stole, steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands that which is good, that he may have to impart to him who has 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 discourse come out of your mouth; but if any speech be good for the use of edification, speak it, that it may impart a benefit to the hearers.

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

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed till 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 anger, and wrath, and clamor, and detraction, be taken away from among 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.

But be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you.