VaEfeso 4
1 Sezvo ndiri musungwa waShe, zvino ndinokukurudzirai kuti murarame upenyu hwakafanira kudanwa kwamakagamuchira.
Therefore I, who am in prison because [I serve] the Lord [Jesus], urge you, whom God has chosen [to be his people, to do these things]: Conduct your lives as [God’s people] should.
2 Muzvininipise zvachose uye mupfave; muite mwoyo murefu, muchiitirana mwoyo murefu murudo.
Always be humble, and do not demand your own rights. Be patient [with each other], and, because you love each other, endure each other’s ([irritating] behavior/behavior that you do not like).
3 Mushingaire kuchengeta humwe hwoMweya kubudikidza nechisungo chorugare.
[God’s] Spirit has caused you to be united [with one another], so do all that you can to remain united [with one another] by acting peacefully [toward each other].
4 Pano muviri mumwe chete noMweya mumwe chete, sezvo makadanirwa kutariro imwe chete pamakadanwa,
[All we believers form just one group] [MET], and we have only one [Holy] Spirit. Similarly, you were chosen {[God] chose you} in order that you all might confidently keep expecting one [set of good] things [from God].
5 Ishe mumwe, kutenda kumwe, rubhabhatidzo rumwe;
There is only one Lord, [Jesus Christ]. We all believe the same [teaching about him. It was to show that we belong to him] alone that [we had someone] baptize us.
6 Mwari mumwe naBaba vavose, ari pamusoro pavose, uye kubudikidza navose, uye muna vose.
There is one God, who is the [spiritual] Father of all [us believers]. He [rules] over all his people; he enables all his people [to do powerful things] (OR, he sustains all his people); and his [Spirit lives] in all his people.
7 Asi kuno mumwe nomumwe wedu kwakapiwa nyasha sokugoverwa kwadzakaitwa naKristu.
Christ has generously given to each one of us spiritual gifts, just like he decided to give them.
8 Ndokusaka zvichinzi: “Paakakwira kudenga, akatungamirira dungwe renhapwa uye akapa zvipo kuvanhu vake.”
[When Christ gave] gifts to his people, [it was similar to what the Psalmist said about God receiving tribute money] from those whom he had conquered, When he ascended to heaven, he gave as gifts to people the things [that he had taken] from the people whom he captured:
9 (Zvinorevei kuti “akakwira” asi kuti akaburukawo kumativi ari pasi penyika?
The words ‘he ascended’ certainly imply/indicate [RHQ] that Christ had also previously descended to the earth.
10 Iye akaburuka ndiye chaiye akakwira kumusoro-soro kupfuura kudenga denga, kuitira kuti azadze pasi pose.)
Christ, who descended [to earth], is also the one who ascended to the most exalted position in heaven, in order that he might show his power [MTY] throughout the universe.
11 Ndiye akapa vamwe kuti vave vapostori, vamwe kuti vave vaprofita, vamwe kuti vave vavhangeri, uye vamwe kuti vave vafudzi navadzidzisi,
He appointed some people to be apostles. He appointed some people to be (prophets/ones who reveal messages that come directly from God). He appointed some people to be (evangelists/ones whose work is to tell others the message about Christ). He appointed some people to lead and teach [the congregations].
12 kuti vagadzirire vanhu vaMwari pabasa rokushumira, kuitira kuti muviri waKristu uvakwe
[He appointed all of these] in order that they would prepare God’s people to do [God’s] work, so that all the people who belong to Christ [MET] might become [spiritually] mature.
13 kudzamara isu tose tasvika pahumwe mukutenda uye nomukuziva Mwanakomana waMwari napamunhu akura, asvika pachiyero chose chokuzara kwaKristu.
He wants all of us [believers] to be united [because] we all believe in the Son of God (OR, the man who was also God) and [because] we all know [him]. He wants us to become spiritually mature; that is, he wants us to be (perfect/all that God wants us to be), [just like] Christ was ([perfect/all that God wanted him to be]).
14 Ipapo hatingazorambi tiri vacheche, vanosundirwa shure nemberi vachipeperetswa kuno nouko nemhepo ipi zvayo yedzidziso, uye nokunyengera nousvinu hwavanhu mukutsausa kwokunyengera kwavo.
Then we will no longer be [spiritually immature], like [MET] little children [are immature]. We will no longer be constantly [changing what we believe, like] [MET] waves of the sea are [constantly changing as the wind blows and] tosses them back and forth. We will not allow people who teach [what is false] and who scheme to deceive/influence us.
15 Asi, tichitaura chokwadi murudo, tichakura pazvinhu zvose maari iye musoro, iye Kristu.
Instead, by loving [others] as we behave as [God’s] truth requires (OR, speak in a loving manner what is true), we will become more and more like Christ in every way. He is the one [who controls/guides all his people] [MET], [just like a person’s] head [controls/guides his] body.
16 Kubva maari muviri wose, wakasanganiswa uye wakabatanidzwa pamwe chete nenhengo dzose dzichiusimbisa, unokura uye unozvivaka murudo, sezvo mutezo mumwe nomumwe uchiita basa rawo.
He [enables all those who belong to him to mature spiritually. A person’s body grows stronger, as] each part of the body is joined to the others by the ligaments and as each part (functions properly/works as it should). Similarly, believers will become mature [spiritually] by loving each other and by each of them doing the work [that God wants them to do] [MET].
17 Saka ndinokuudzai izvi, uye murambire pazviri muna She, kuti hamufaniri kuramba muchirarama savaHedheni, muupenzi hwendangariro dzavo.
The Lord [Jesus] has authorized me to strongly tell you that you must no longer conduct your lives like unbelievers do. The futile/worthless way in which they think [MET] [controls how they conduct their lives].
18 Vakasvibiswa mukunzwisisa kwavo uye vakaparadzaniswa noupenyu hwaMwari nokuda kwokusaziva kuri mavari nokuda kwoukukutu hwemwoyo yavo.
They are unable to think clearly [MET] [about what is right and what is wrong]. Because they have decided that they do not want to know about God and because they stubbornly [IDM] refuse to [listen to his message], they do not have the [eternal] life that God [gives us].
19 Vasisina hanya, vakasvika kuutera kuitira kuti vagoita mabasa ose etsvina, nokuchiva zvakawanda.
The result is that because they have ceased (to care/to be concerned) [about what is right and what is wrong], they have (deliberately committed themselves to doing/wholeheartedly decided to do) the shameful things that their bodies want, and they commit all kinds of immoral acts, and continually are eager to do more of those things.
20 Kunyange zvakadaro, imi hamuna kuziva Kristu saizvozvo.
But when you learned [about] Christ, you did not learn [to behave] like that.
21 Zvirokwazvo makanzwa nezvake uye makadzidziswa maari maererano nechokwadi chiri muna Jesu.
I am sure that you heard the message about [Christ], and because you are people who have a close relationship with him, you were taught {[others] taught you} the true [way to live] that Jesus [showed us].
22 Makadzidziswa, maererano namafambiro enyu ekare, kuti mubvise munhu wenyu wekare, anoodzwa nokuchiva kwokunyengera;
[You were taught] {[They taught you]} that you must put aside [MET] your evil nature; [that is, that you must not behave like you formerly did]. Your evil desires deceived you, making you want to do evil things and causing you to think that [doing that was good for you]; and your thinking like that was destroying you [spiritually].
23 kuti muitwe vatsva mukufunga kwendangariro dzenyu;
Others taught you that instead, you must let [God’s Spirit] change the way you think,
24 uye mufuke munhu mutsva, akasikwa kuti afanane naMwari mukururama kwechokwadi noutsvene.
and that you must start being [MET] the new persons that God made you to become. That is, your [behavior] must be righteous and truly/genuinely devout.
25 Naizvozvo mumwe nomumwe wenyu anofanira kubvisa nhema uye ataure chokwadi kuno muvakidzani wake, nokuti isu tose tiri nhengo dzomuviri mumwe.
Therefore, quit lying to one another. Instead, because we all belong to just one group [of believers], speak truthfully to each other.
26 “Mukutsamwa kwenyu, musatadza.” Musarega zuva richivira muchakangotsamwa,
If you get angry, do not sin [as a result of] getting angry. Before the end of the day [MTY], stop being angry;
27 uye musapa dhiabhori mukana.
[by doing that], you will not allow the devil to make you do evil.
28 Uyo akanga achimboba ngaarege kuzobazve, asi anofanira kushanda, achiita zvinhu zvinobatsira namaoko ake, kuti ave nechaangagovera avo vanoshayiwa.
Those who have been stealing must not steal any longer. Instead, they should work hard to earn (their living/what they need) ([by] their own efforts/[by] what they do themselves) [MTY], in order that they may have [something] to give to those who are needy.
29 Musarega kutaura kwakaora kuchibuda mumiromo yenyu, asi chete zvinobatsira pakuvaka vamwe maererano nezvavanoshayiwa, kuti zvigobatsira avo vanonzwa.
Do not use [MTY] foul language. Instead, say only things that are useful for helping people when they need help, things that will help [spiritually] the people that you talk to.
30 Uye musachemedza Mweya Mutsvene waMwari, uyo wakaitwa chisimbiso chenyu pazuva rokudzikinurwa.
[God has given you his] Spirit (to confirm/to assure you) that some day [God will claim all] you people [whom Christ has] redeemed [MET], [just like people confirm that something belongs to them by] putting their seal on it. So do not cause God’s Holy Spirit to be sad ([by the way you talk/by the things that you say]).
31 Bvisai shungu dzose, hasha nokutsamwa, kupopota namakuhwa pamwe chete nokuvenga kwose.
Do not be resentful at all towards others. Do not become angry in any way. Never shout abusively at others. Never (slander/say bad things about) others. Never act maliciously/be mean in any way.
32 Muitirane mwoyo munyoro uye munzwirane tsitsi, muchikanganwira mumwe nomumwe wenyu, sezvamakakanganwirwa naMwari muna Kristu.
Be kind to one another. Act mercifully toward each other. Forgive each other, just like God forgave you because of [what] Christ [has done].
