1 C all upon you, then, do I -- the prisoner of the Lord -- to walk worthily of the calling with which ye were called,

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 w ith all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love,

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 b eing diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace;

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

4 o ne body and one Spirit, according as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;

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

5 o ne Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 o ne God and Father of all, who over all, and through all, and in you all,

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

7 a nd to each one of you was given the grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ,

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

8 w herefore, he saith, `Having gone up on high he led captive captivity, and gave gifts to men,' --

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

9 a nd that, he went up, what is it except that he also went down first to the lower parts of the earth?

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

10 h e who went down is the same also who went up far above all the heavens, that He may fill all things --

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 a nd He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some proclaimers of good news, and some shepherds and teachers,

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 u nto the perfecting of the saints, for a work of ministration, for a building up of the body of the Christ,

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 t ill we may all come to the unity of the faith and of the recognition of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of stature of the fulness of the Christ,

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 t hat we may no more be babes, tossed and borne about by every wind of the teaching, in the sleight of men, in craftiness, unto the artifice of leading astray,

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 a nd, being true in love, we may increase to Him all things, who is the head -- the Christ;

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 f rom whom the whole body, being fitly joined together and united, through the supply of every joint, according to the working in the measure of each single part, the increase of the body doth make for the building up of itself in love.

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 T his, then, I say, and I testify in the Lord; ye are no more to walk, as also the other nations walk, in the vanity of their mind,

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 b eing darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,

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 w ho, having ceased to feel, themselves did give up to the lasciviousness, for the working of all uncleanness in greediness;

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 a nd ye did not so learn the Christ,

But you did not so learn Christ!

21 i f so be ye did hear him, and in him were taught, as truth is in Jesus;

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

22 y e are to put off concerning the former behaviour the old man, that is corrupt according to the desires of the deceit,

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 a nd to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 a nd to put on the new man, which, according to God, was created in righteousness and kindness of the truth.

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

25 W herefore, putting away the lying, speak truth each with his neighbour, because we are members one of another;

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 b e angry and do not sin; let not the sun go down upon your wrath,

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 either give place to the devil;

Leave no room or foothold for the devil.

28 w hoso is stealing let him no more steal, but rather let him labour, working the thing that is good with the hands, that he may have to impart to him having need.

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 L et no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth, but what is good unto the needful building up, that it may give grace to the hearers;

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 a nd make not sorrowful the Holy Spirit of God, in which ye were sealed to a day of redemption.

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 L et all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice,

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 a nd become one to another kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as also God in Christ did forgive you.

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