Waefeso 4
1 Kwa hiyo, kama mfungwa kwa ajili ya Bwana, nawasihi mtembee sawasawa na wito ambao Mungu aliwaita.
I beg you, then – I who am a prisoner in the Master’s cause – to live lives worthy of the call that you have received;
2 Muishi kwa unyenyekevu mkuu na upole na uvumilivu. Mkichukuliana katika upendo.
always humble and gentle, patient, bearing lovingly with one another,
3 Fanyeni bidii kuutunza umoja wa Roho katika kifungo cha amani.
and striving to maintain in the bond of peace the unity given by the Spirit.
4 Kuna mwili mmoja na Roho moja, kama ambavyo pia mlikuwa mmeitwa katika uhakika wa taraja moja la wito wenu.
There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there was but one hope set before you when you received your call.
5 Na kuna Bwana mmoja, imani moja, ubatizo mmoja,
There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
6 na Mungu mmoja na Baba wa wote. Yeye yuko juu ya yote, na katika yote na ndani ya yote.
There is but one God and Father of all – the God who is over all, pervades all, and is in all.
7 Kwa kila mmoja wetu amepewa kipawa kulingana na kipimo cha kipawa cha Kristo.
Everyone of us, however, has been entrusted with some charge, each in accordance with the extent of the gift of the Christ.
8 Ni kama maandiko yasemavyo: “Alipopaa juu sana, aliongoza mateka katika utumwa. Akatoa vipawa kwa watu.”
That is why it is said – ‘When he went up on high, he led his captives into captivity. And gave gifts to humanity.’
9 Ni nini maana ya, “Alipaa,” isipokuwa kwamba alishuka pia pande za chini za dunia?
Now surely this ‘going up’ must imply that he had already gone down into the world beneath.
10 Yeye ambaye alishuka ni mtu yuleyule ambae pia alipaa mbali juu ya mbingu zote. Alifanya hivi ili uwepo wake uwe katika vitu vyote.
He who went down is the same as he who went up – up beyond the highest heaven, so that he might fill all things with his presence.
11 Kristo alitoa vipawa kama hivi: mitume, manabii, wainjilisti, wachungaji, na waalimu.
And he it is who gave to the church apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers,
12 Alifanya hivi kuwawezesha waumini kwa ajili ya kazi ya huduma, kwa ajili ya kuujenga mwili wa Kristo.
to fit his people for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of the Christ.
13 Anafanya hivi hadi sisi sote tufikie umoja wa imani na maarifa ya mwana wa Mungu. Anafanya hivi hadi tuweze kukomaa kama wale waliofikia kimo kamili cha Kristo.
And this will continue, until we all attain to that unity which is given by faith and by a fuller knowledge of the Son of God; until we reach maturity – the full standard of the perfection of the Christ.
14 Hii ni ili kwamba tusiwe tena kama watoto, tusirushwerushwe huku na huko. Ili kwamba tusichukuliwe na kila aina ya upepo wa fundisho, kwa hila za watu katika ujanja wa udanganyifu uliopotoka.
Then we will no longer be like infants, tossed backward and forward, blown about by every breath of human teaching and by people’s trickery and craftiness;
15 Badala yake, tutaongea ukweli katika upendo na kukua zaidi katika njia zote ndani yake ambaye ndiye kichwa, Kristo.
but holding the truth in a spirit of love, we will grow into complete union with him who is our head – Christ himself.
16 Kristo ameunganisha, kwa pamoja, mwili wote wa waumini. Umeungamanishwa pamoja na kila kiungo ili kwamba mwili wote ukue na kujijenga wenyewe katika upendo.
For from him the whole body, closely joined and knit together by the contact of every part with the source of its life, derives its power to grow, in proportion to the vigour of each individual part; and so is being built up in a spirit of love.
17 Kwa hiyo, nasema hili, na nawasihi katika Bwana: Msitembee tena kama watu wa mataifa wanavyotembea katika ubatili wa akili zao.
This, then, as one in union with the Lord, I implore: Do not continue to live such purposeless lives as the Gentiles live,
18 Wametiwa giza katika mawazo yao. Wamefukuzwa kutoka katika uzima wa Mungu kwa ujinga ulio ndani yao kwa sababu ya ugumu wa mioyo yao.
with their powers of discernment darkened, cut off from the life of God, owing to the ignorance that prevails among them and to the hardness of their hearts.
19 Hawajisikii aibu. Wamejikabidhi wenyewe kwa ufisadi katika matendo machafu, katika kila aina ya uchoyo.
Lost to all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, in order to practice every kind of impurity without restraint.
20 Lakini, hivi sivyo mlivyojifunza kuhusu Kristo.
But far different is the lesson you learned from the Christ – if, that is, you really listened to him,
21 Nadhani kwamba mmesikia kuhusu yeye. Nadhani kwamba mmekuwa mkifundishwa katika yeye, kama tu ukweli ulivyo ndani ya Yesu.
and through union with him were taught the truth, as it is to be found in Jesus.
22 Lazima mvue mambo yote yanayoendana na mwenendo wenu wa zamani, utu wa zamani. Ni utu wa zamani unaooza kwa sababu ya tamaa za udanganyifu.
For you learned with regard to your former way of living that you must cast off your old nature, which, yielding to deluding passions, grows corrupt;
23 Vueni utu wenu wa zamani ili kwamba mfanywe upya katika roho ya akili zenu.
that the spirit of your minds must be constantly renewed;
24 Fanyeni hivi ili muweze kuvaa utu mpya, unaoendana na Mungu. Umeumbwa katika haki na utakatifu wa kweli.
and that you must clothe yourselves in that new nature which was created to resemble God, with the righteousness and holiness springing from the truth.
25 Kwa hiyo, weka mbali udanganyifu. “Ongeeni ukweli, kila mmoja na jirani yake,” kwa sababu tu washirika kwa kila mmoja kwa mwenzake.
Since, therefore, you have cast off what is false, you must every one of you speak the truth to your neighbors. For we are united to one another like the parts of a body.
26 Mwe na hasira, lakini msitende dhambi.” Jua lisizame mkiwa katika hasira zenu.
Be angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger;
27 Msimpe Ibilisi nafasi.
and give no opportunity to the devil.
28 Yeyote aibaye lazima asiibe tena. Badala yake ni lazima afanye kazi. Afanye kazi yenye manufaa kwa mikono yake, ili kwamba aweze kumhudumia mtu aliye na hitaji.
Let the person who steals steal no longer, but rather they should toil with their hands at honest work, so that they may have something to share with anyone in need.
29 Kauli mbaya isitoke kinywani mwenu. Badala yake, maneno lazima yatoke katika vinywa vyenu yafaayo kwa mahitaji, kuwapa faida wale wanaosikiliza.
Never let any foul word pass your lips, but only such good words as the occasion demands, so that they may be a help to those who hear them.
30 Na msimhuzunishe Roho Mtakatifu wa Mungu. Ni kwa Yeye kwamba mmewekewa muhuri kwa ajili ya siku ya ukombozi.
And do not grieve God’s Holy Spirit; for it was through that Spirit that God sealed you as his, against the day of redemption.
31 Lazima muweke mbali uchungu wote, ghadhabu, hasira, ugomvi, na matusi, pamoja na kila aina ya uovu. Iweni wema ninyi kwa ninyi.
Let all bitterness, passion, anger, brawling, and abusive language be banished from among you, as well as all malice.
32 Mwe na huruma. Msameheane ninyi kwa ninyi, kama vile Mungu katika Kristo alivyowasamehe ninyi.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ready to forgive one another, just as God, in Christ, forgave you.
