Waefeso 4
1 Kwa hiyo, kama mfungwa kwa ajili ya Bwana, nawasihi mtembee sawasawa na wito ambao Mungu aliwaita.
I, then, the prisoner for the Master's sake, entreat you to live and act as becomes those who have received the call that you have received--
2 Muishi kwa unyenyekevu mkuu na upole na uvumilivu. Mkichukuliana katika upendo.
with all lowliness of mind and unselfishness, and with patience, bearing with one another lovingly, and earnestly striving to maintain,
3 Fanyeni bidii kuutunza umoja wa Roho katika kifungo cha amani.
in the uniting 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 but one Spirit, as also when you were called you had one and the same hope held out to you.
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.
and one God and Father of all, who rules over all, acts through all, and dwells in all.
7 Kwa kila mmoja wetu amepewa kipawa kulingana na kipimo cha kipawa cha Kristo.
Yet to each of us individually grace was given, measured out with the munificence of Christ.
8 Ni kama maandiko yasemavyo: “Alipopaa juu sana, aliongoza mateka katika utumwa. Akatoa vipawa kwa watu.”
For this reason Scripture says: "He re-ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and gave gifts to men."
9 Ni nini maana ya, “Alipaa,” isipokuwa kwamba alishuka pia pande za chini za dunia?
(Now this "re-ascended" --what does it mean but that He had first descended into the lower regions of the earth?
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 descended is the same as He who ascended again far above all the Heavens in order to fill the universe.)
11 Kristo alitoa vipawa kama hivi: mitume, manabii, wainjilisti, wachungaji, na waalimu.
And He Himself appointed some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers,
12 Alifanya hivi kuwawezesha waumini kwa ajili ya kazi ya huduma, kwa ajili ya kuujenga mwili wa Kristo.
in order fully to equip His people for the work of serving--for the building up of Christ's body--
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.
till we all of us arrive at oneness in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and at mature manhood and the stature of full-grown men in 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.
So we shall no longer be babes nor shall we resemble mariners tossed on the waves and carried about with every changing wind of doctrine according to men's cleverness and unscrupulous cunning, making use of every shifting device to mislead.
15 Badala yake, tutaongea ukweli katika upendo na kukua zaidi katika njia zote ndani yake ambaye ndiye kichwa, Kristo.
But we shall lovingly hold to the truth, and shall in all respects grow up into union with Him who is our Head, even Christ.
16 Kristo ameunganisha, kwa pamoja, mwili wote wa waumini. Umeungamanishwa pamoja na kila kiungo ili kwamba mwili wote ukue na kujijenga wenyewe katika upendo.
Dependent on Him, the whole body--its various parts closely fitting and firmly adhering to one another-- grows by the aid of every contributory link, with power proportioned to the need of each individual part, so as to build itself 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.
Therefore I warn you, and I implore you in the name of the Master, no longer to live as the Gentiles in their perverseness 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 darkened understandings, having by reason of the ignorance which is deep-seated in them and the insensibility of their moral nature, no share in the Life which God gives.
19 Hawajisikii aibu. Wamejikabidhi wenyewe kwa ufisadi katika matendo machafu, katika kila aina ya uchoyo.
Such men being past feeling have abandoned themselves to impurity, greedily indulging in every kind of profligacy.
20 Lakini, hivi sivyo mlivyojifunza kuhusu Kristo.
But these are not the lessons which you have learned from Christ;
21 Nadhani kwamba mmesikia kuhusu yeye. Nadhani kwamba mmekuwa mkifundishwa katika yeye, kama tu ukweli ulivyo ndani ya Yesu.
if at least you have heard His voice and in Him have been taught--and this is true Christian teaching--
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.
to put away, in regard to your former mode of life, your original evil nature which is doomed to perish as befits its misleading impulses,
23 Vueni utu wenu wa zamani ili kwamba mfanywe upya katika roho ya akili zenu.
and to get yourselves renewed in the temper of your minds and clothe yourselves
24 Fanyeni hivi ili muweze kuvaa utu mpya, unaoendana na Mungu. Umeumbwa katika haki na utakatifu wa kweli.
with that new and better self which has been created to resemble God in the righteousness and holiness which come 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.
For this reason, laying aside falsehood, every one of you should speak the truth to his fellow man; for we are, as it were, parts of one another.
26 Mwe na hasira, lakini msitende dhambi.” Jua lisizame mkiwa katika hasira zenu.
If angry, beware of sinning. Let not your irritation last until the sun goes down;
27 Msimpe Ibilisi nafasi.
and do not leave room for 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.
He who has been a thief must steal no more, but, instead of that, should work with his own hands in honest industry, so that he may have something of which he can give the needy a share.
29 Kauli mbaya isitoke kinywani mwenu. Badala yake, maneno lazima yatoke katika vinywa vyenu yafaayo kwa mahitaji, kuwapa faida wale wanaosikiliza.
Let no unwholesome words ever pass your lips, but let all your words be good for benefiting others according to the need of the moment, so that they may be a means of blessing to the hearers.
30 Na msimhuzunishe Roho Mtakatifu wa Mungu. Ni kwa Yeye kwamba mmewekewa muhuri kwa ajili ya siku ya ukombozi.
And beware of grieving the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you have been sealed in preparation for 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 and all passionate feeling, all anger and loud insulting language, be unknown among you--and also every kind of malice.
32 Mwe na huruma. Msameheane ninyi kwa ninyi, kama vile Mungu katika Kristo alivyowasamehe ninyi.
On the contrary learn to be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.
