1 Y o, pues, preso en el Señor, os ruego que andéis como es digno de la vocación con que fuisteis llamados:

I am being held in prison because of working for the Lord. I ask you from my heart to live and work the way the Lord expected you to live and work.

2 c on toda humildad y mansedumbre, soportándoos con paciencia los unos a los otros en amor,

Live and work without pride. Be gentle and kind. Do not be hard on others. Let love keep you from doing that.

3 p rocurando mantener la unidad del Espíritu en el vínculo de la paz:

Work hard to live together as one by the help of the Holy Spirit. Then there will be peace.

4 u n solo cuerpo y un solo Espíritu, como fuisteis también llamados en una misma esperanza de vuestra vocación;

There is one body and one Spirit. There is one hope in which you were called.

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

There is one Lord and one faith and one baptism.

6 u n solo Dios y Padre de todos, el cual es sobre todos y por todos y en todos.

There is one God. He is the Father of us all. He is over us all. He is the One working through us all. He is the One living in us all.

7 P ero a cada uno de nosotros fue dada la gracia conforme a la medida del don de Cristo.

Loving-favor has been given to each one of us. We can see how great it is by the gift of Christ.

8 P or lo cual dice: «Subiendo a lo alto, llevó cautiva la cautividad, y dio dones a los hombres.»

The Holy Writings say, “When Christ went up to heaven, He took those who were held with Him. He gave gifts to men.”

9 Y eso de que «subió», ¿qué es, sino que también había descendido primero a las partes más bajas de la tierra?

When they say, “He went up,” what does it mean but that He had first gone down to the deep parts of the earth?

10 E l que descendió es el mismo que también subió por encima de todos los cielos para llenarlo todo.

Christ Who went down into the deep also went up far above the heavens. He did this to fill all the world with Himself.

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

Christ gave gifts to men. He gave to some the gift to be missionaries, some to be preachers, others to be preachers who go from town to town. He gave others the gift to be church leaders and teachers.

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

These gifts help His people work well for Him. And then the church which is the body of Christ will be made strong.

13 h asta que todos lleguemos a la unidad de la fe y del conocimiento del Hijo de Dios, al hombre perfecto, a la medida de la estatura de la plenitud de Cristo.

All of us are to be as one in the faith and in knowing the Son of God. We are to be full-grown Christians standing as high and complete as Christ is Himself.

14 A sí ya no seremos niños fluctuantes, llevados por doquiera de todo viento de doctrina, por estratagema de hombres que para engañar emplean con astucia las artimañas del error;

Then we will not be as children any longer. Children are like boats thrown up and down on big waves. They are blown with the wind. False teaching is like the wind. False teachers try everything possible to make people believe a lie,

15 s ino que, siguiendo la verdad en amor, crezcamos en todo en aquel que es la cabeza, esto es, Cristo,

but we are to hold to the truth with love in our hearts. We are to grow up and be more like Christ. He is the leader of the church.

16 d e 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

Christ has put each part of the church in its right place. Each part helps other parts. This is what is needed to keep the whole body together. In this way, the whole body grows strong in love. The Old and the New Life

17 E sto, pues, digo y requiero en el Señor: que ya no andéis como los otros gentiles, que andan en la vanidad de su mente,

I tell you this in the name of the Lord: You must not live any longer like the people of the world who do not know God. Their thoughts are foolish.

18 t eniendo el entendimiento entenebrecido, ajenos de la vida de Dios por la ignorancia que en ellos hay, por la dureza de su corazón.

Their minds are in darkness. They are strangers to the life of God. This is because they have closed their minds to Him and have turned their hearts away from Him.

19 E stos, después que perdieron toda sensibilidad, se entregaron al libertinaje para cometer con avidez toda clase de impureza.

They do not care anymore about what is right or wrong. They have turned themselves over to the sinful ways of the world and are always wanting to do every kind of sinful act they can think of.

20 P ero vosotros no habéis aprendido así sobre Cristo,

But you did not learn anything like this from Christ.

21 s i en verdad lo habéis oído, y habéis sido por él enseñados, conforme a la verdad que está en Jesús.

If you have heard of Him and have learned from Him,

22 E n cuanto a la pasada manera de vivir, despojaos del viejo hombre, que está corrompido por los deseos engañosos,

put away the old person you used to be. Have nothing to do with your old sinful life. It was sinful because of being fooled into following bad desires.

23 r enovaos en el espíritu de vuestra mente,

Let your minds and hearts be made new.

24 y vestíos del nuevo hombre, creado según Dios en la justicia y santidad de la verdad.

You must become a new person and be God-like. Then you will be made right with God and have a true holy life.

25 P or eso, desechando la mentira, hablad verdad cada uno con su prójimo, porque somos miembros los unos de los otros.

So stop lying to each other. Tell the truth to your neighbor. We all belong to the same body.

26 A iraos, pero no pequéis; no se ponga el sol sobre vuestro enojo,

If you are angry, do not let it become sin. Get over your anger before the day is finished.

27 n i deis lugar al diablo.

Do not let the devil start working in your life.

28 E l que robaba, no robe más, sino trabaje, haciendo con sus manos lo que es bueno, para que tenga qué compartir con el que padece necesidad.

Anyone who steals must stop it! He must work with his hands so he will have what he needs and can give to those who need help.

29 N inguna palabra corrompida salga de vuestra boca, sino la que sea buena para la necesaria edificación, a fin de dar gracia a los oyentes.

Watch your talk! No bad words should be coming from your mouth. Say what is good. Your words should help others grow as Christians.

30 Y no entristezcáis al Espíritu Santo de Dios, con el cual fuisteis sellados para el día de la redención.

Do not make God’s Holy Spirit have sorrow for the way you live. The Holy Spirit has put a mark on you for the day you will be set free.

31 Q uítense de vosotros toda amargura, enojo, ira, gritería, maledicencia y toda malicia.

Put out of your life all these things: bad feelings about other people, anger, temper, loud talk, bad talk which hurts other people, and bad feelings which hurt other people.

32 A ntes sed bondadosos unos con otros, misericordiosos, perdonándoos unos a otros, como Dios también os perdonó a vosotros en Cristo.

You must be kind to each other. Think of the other person. Forgive other people just as God forgave you because of Christ’s death on the cross.