1 I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service,

Yo, que estoy preso por causa del Señor, les ruego que vivan como es digno del llamamiento que han recibido,

2 L iving as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.

y que sean humildes y mansos, y tolerantes y pacientes unos con otros, en amor.

3 B e eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of the Spirit in the binding power of peace.

Procuren mantener la unidad del Espíritu en el vínculo de la paz.

4 o ne body and one Spirit—just as there is also one hope to the calling you received—

Así como ustedes fueron llamados a una sola esperanza, hay también un cuerpo y un Espíritu,

5 o ne Lord, one faith, one baptism,

un Señor, una fe, un bautismo,

6 O ne God and Father of all, Who is above all, pervading all and in all.

y un Dios y Padre de todos, el cual está por encima de todos, actúa por medio de todos, y está en todos.

7 Y et grace (God’s unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually in proportion to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Pero a cada uno de nosotros se nos ha dado la gracia conforme a la medida del don de Cristo.

8 T herefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive '> vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men.

Por esto dice: «Subiendo a lo alto, llevó consigo a los cautivos, Y dio dones a los hombres.»

9 N ow what can this, He ascended, mean but that He had previously descended from heaven into, the lower parts of the earth?

Y al decir «subiendo», ¿qué quiere decir, sino que también primero había descendido a lo más profundo de la tierra?

10 H e Who descended is the same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest).

El que descendió, es el mismo que también ascendió por encima de todos los cielos, para llenarlo todo.

11 A nd His gifts were some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.

Y él mismo constituyó a unos, apóstoles; a otros, profetas; a otros, evangelistas; a otros, pastores y maestros,

12 H is intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),

a fin de perfeccionar a los santos para la obra del ministerio, para la edificación del cuerpo de Cristo,

13 u ntil we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the '> full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.

hasta que todos lleguemos a estar unidos por la fe y el conocimiento del Hijo de Dios; hasta que lleguemos a ser un hombre perfecto, a la medida de la estatura de la plenitud de Cristo;

14 S o then, we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.

para que ya no seamos niños fluctuantes, arrastrados para todos lados por todo viento de doctrina, por los engaños de aquellos que emplean con astucia artimañas engañosas,

15 R ather, let our lives lovingly express truth. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

sino para que profesemos la verdad en amor y crezcamos en todo en Cristo, que es la cabeza,

16 F or because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.

de quien todo el cuerpo, bien concertado y unido entre sí por todas las coyunturas que se ayudan mutuamente, según la actividad propia de cada miembro, recibe su crecimiento para ir edificándose en amor. La nueva vida en Cristo

17 S o this I say and solemnly testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness of their minds.

Pero esto quiero decirles en el nombre del Señor, y en esto quiero insistir: no vivan ya como la gente sin Dios, que vive de acuerdo a su mente vacía.

18 T heir moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Esa gente tiene el entendimiento entenebrecido; por causa de la ignorancia que hay en ellos, y por la dureza de su corazón, viven ajenos de la vida que proviene de Dios.

19 I n their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity.

Después de que perdieron toda sensibilidad, se entregaron al libertinaje para cometer con avidez toda clase de impureza.

20 B ut you did not so learn Christ!

Pero eso no lo aprendieron ustedes de Cristo,

21 A ssuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as Truth is in Jesus,

si es que en verdad oyeron su mensaje y fueron enseñados por él, de acuerdo con la verdad que está en Jesús.

22 S trip yourselves of your former nature which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;

En cuanto a su pasada manera de vivir, despójense de su vieja naturaleza, la cual está corrompida por los deseos engañosos;

23 A nd be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind,

renuévense en el espíritu de su mente,

24 A nd put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, in true righteousness and holiness.

y revístanse de la nueva naturaleza, creada en conformidad con Dios en la justicia y santidad de la verdad.

25 T herefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.

Por eso cada uno de ustedes debe desechar la mentira y hablar la verdad con su prójimo; porque somos miembros los unos de los otros.

26 W hen angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.

Enójense, pero no pequen; reconcíliense antes de que el sol se ponga,

27 L eave no room or foothold for the devil.

y no den lugar al diablo.

28 L et the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.

El que antes robaba, que no vuelva a robar; al contrario, que trabaje y use sus manos para el bien, a fin de que pueda compartir algo con quien tenga alguna necesidad.

29 L et no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

No pronuncien ustedes ninguna palabra obscena, sino sólo aquellas que contribuyan a la necesaria edificación y que sean de bendición para los oyentes.

30 A nd do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).

No entristezcan al Espíritu Santo de Dios, con el cual ustedes fueron sellados para el día de la redención.

31 L et all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

Desechen todo lo que sea amargura, enojo, ira, gritería, calumnias, y todo tipo de maldad.

32 A nd become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

En vez de eso, sean bondadosos y misericordiosos, y perdónense unos a otros, así como también Dios los perdonó a ustedes en Cristo.