1 Y o, pues, prisionero del Señor, les ruego que ustedes vivan (anden) de una manera digna de la vocación con que han sido llamados.

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,

2 Q ue vivan con toda humildad y mansedumbre, con paciencia, soportándose unos a otros en amor,

Living 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.

3 e sforzándose por preservar la unidad del Espíritu en el vínculo de la paz.

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

4 H ay un solo cuerpo y un solo Espíritu, así como también ustedes fueron llamados en una misma esperanza de su vocación;

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

5 u n solo Señor, una sola fe, un solo bautismo,

one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 u n solo Dios y Padre de todos, que está sobre todos, por todos y en todos.

One God and Father of all, Who is above all, pervading all and in all.

7 P ero a cada uno de nosotros se nos ha concedido la gracia conforme a la medida del don de Cristo.

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

8 P or tanto, dice: “ Cuando ascendio a lo alto, llevo cautiva un gran numero de cautivos, y dio dones a los hombres.”

Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive '> vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men.

9 E sta expresión: “Ascendió,” ¿qué significa, sino que El también había descendido a las profundidades de la tierra ?

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

10 E l que descendió es también el mismo que ascendió mucho más arriba de todos los cielos, para poder llenarlo todo.

He 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).

11 Y El dio a algunos el ser apóstoles, a otros profetas, a otros evangelistas, a otros pastores y maestros,

And 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.

12 a fin de capacitar a los santos para la obra del ministerio, para la edificación del cuerpo de Cristo;

His 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),

13 h asta que todos lleguemos a la unidad de la fe y del pleno conocimiento del Hijo de Dios, a la condición de un hombre maduro, a la medida de la estatura de la plenitud de Cristo.

until 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.

14 E ntonces ya no seremos niños, sacudidos por las olas y llevados de aquí para allá por todo viento de doctrina, por la astucia de los hombres, por las artimañas engañosas del error.

So 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.

15 M ás bien, al hablar la verdad en amor, creceremos en todos los aspectos en Aquél que es la cabeza, es decir, Cristo,

Rather, 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).

16 d e quien todo el cuerpo, estando bien ajustado y unido por la cohesión que las coyunturas proveen, conforme al funcionamiento adecuado de cada miembro, produce el crecimiento del cuerpo para su propia edificación en amor. Nueva Vida en Cristo

For 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.

17 E sto digo, pues, y afirmo juntamente con el Señor: que ustedes ya no anden así como andan también los Gentiles (paganos), en la vanidad de su mente.

So 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.

18 E llos tienen entenebrecido su entendimiento, están excluidos (separados) de la vida de Dios por causa de la ignorancia que hay en ellos, por la dureza de su corazón.

Their 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.

19 H abiendo llegado a ser insensibles, se entregaron a la sensualidad para cometer con avidez toda clase de impurezas.

In 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.

20 P ero ustedes no han aprendido a Cristo (el Mesías) de esta manera.

But you did not so learn Christ!

21 S i en verdad Lo oyeron y han sido enseñados en El, conforme a la verdad que hay en Jesús,

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

22 q ue en cuanto a la anterior manera de vivir, ustedes se despojen del viejo hombre, que se corrompe según los deseos engañosos,

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

23 y que sean renovados en el espíritu de su mente,

And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 y se vistan del nuevo hombre, el cual, en la semejanza de Dios, ha sido creado en la justicia y santidad de la verdad.

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

25 P or tanto, dejando a un lado la falsedad, hablen verdad cada cual con su projimo, porque somos miembros los unos de los otros.

Therefore, 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.

26 E nojense, pero no pequen; no se ponga el sol sobre su enojo,

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

27 n i den oportunidad (lugar) al diablo.

Leave no room or foothold for the devil.

28 E l que roba, no robe más, sino más bien que trabaje, haciendo con sus manos lo que es bueno, a fin de que tenga qué compartir con el que tiene necesidad.

Let 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.

29 N o salga de la boca de ustedes ninguna palabra mala (corrompida), sino sólo la que sea buena para edificación, según la necesidad del momento, para que imparta gracia a los que escuchan.

Let 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.

30 Y no entristezcan al Espíritu Santo de Dios, por el cual fueron sellados para el día de la redención.

And 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).

31 S ea quitada de ustedes toda amargura, enojo, ira, gritos, insultos, así como toda malicia.

Let 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).

32 S ean más bien amables unos con otros, misericordiosos, perdonándose unos a otros, así como también Dios los perdonó en Cristo.

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