Estote ergo imitatores Dei, sicut filii carissimi,

Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children;

As God’s favoured children, you must be like him.

et ambulate in dilectione, sicut et Christus dilexit nos, et tradidit semetipsum pro nobis, oblationem et hostiam Deo in odorem suavitatis.

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness.

Order your lives in charity, upon the model of that charity which Christ shewed to us, when he gave himself up on our behalf, a sacrifice breathing out fragrance as he offered it to God.

Fornicatio autem, et omnis immunditia, aut avaritia, nec nominetur in vobis, sicut decet sanctos:

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints:

As for debauchery, and impurity of every kind, and covetousness, there must be no whisper of it among you; it would ill become saints;

aut turpitudo, aut stultiloquium, aut scurrilitas, quæ ad rem non pertinet: sed magis gratiarum actio.

Or obscenity, or foolish talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose; but rather giving of thanks.

no indecent behaviour, no ribaldry or smartness in talk; that is not your business, your business is to give thanks to God.

Hoc enim scitote intelligentes: quod omnis fornicator, aut immundus, aut avarus, quod est idolorum servitus, non habet hæreditatem in regno Christi et Dei.

For know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

This you must know well enough, that nobody can claim a share in Christ’s kingdom, God’s kingdom, if he is debauched, or impure, or has that love of money which makes a man an idolater.

Nemo vos seducat inanibus verbis: propter hæc enim venit ira Dei in filios diffidentiæ.

Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief.

Do not allow anyone to cheat you with empty promises; these are the very things which bring down God’s anger on the unbelievers;

Nolite ergo effici participes eorum.

Be ye not therefore partakers with them.

you do ill to throw in your lot with them.

Eratis enim aliquando tenebræ: nunc autem lux in Domino. Ut filii lucis ambulate:

For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light.

Once you were all darkness; now, in the Lord, you are all daylight. You must live as men native to the light;

fructus enim lucis est in omni bonitate, et justitia, et veritate:

For the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth;

where the light has its effect, all is goodness, and holiness, and truth;

probantes quid sit beneplacitum Deo:

Proving what is well pleasing to God:

your lives must be the manifestation of God’s will.

et nolite communicare operibus infructuosis tenebrarum, magis autem redarguite.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

As for the thankless deeds men do in the dark, you must not take any part in them; rather, your conduct must be a rebuke to them;

Quæ enim in occulto fiunt ab ipsis, turpe est et dicere.

For the things that are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of.

their secret actions are too shameful even to bear speaking of.

Omnia autem, quæ arguuntur, a lumine manifestantur: omne enim, quod manifestatur, lumen est.

But all things that are reproved, are made manifest by the light; for all that is made manifest is light.

It is the light that rebukes such things and shews them up for what they are; only light shews up.

Propter quod dicit: Surge qui dormis, et exsurge a mortuis, et illuminabit te Christus.

Wherefore he saith: Rise thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall enlighten thee.

That is the meaning of the words, Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Videte itaque, fratres, quomodo caute ambuletis: non quasi insipientes,

See therefore, brethren, how you walk circumspectly: not as unwise,

See then, brethren, how carefully you have to tread, not as fools,

sed ut sapientes: redimentes tempus, quoniam dies mali sunt.

But as wise: redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

but as wise men do, hoarding the opportunity that is given you, in evil times like these.

Propterea nolite fieri imprudentes, sed intelligentes quæ sit voluntas Dei.

Wherefore become not unwise, but understanding what is the will of God.

No, you cannot afford to be reckless; you must grasp what the Lord’s will is for you.

Et nolite inebriari vino, in quo est luxuria, sed implemini Spiritu Sancto,

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury; but be ye filled with the holy Spirit,

Do not besot yourselves with wine; that leads to ruin. Let your contentment be in the Holy Spirit;

loquentes vobismetipsis in psalmis, et hymnis, et canticis spiritualibus, cantantes et psallentes in cordibus vestris Domino,

Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord;

your tongues unloosed in psalms and hymns and spiritual music, as you sing and give praise to the Lord in your hearts.

gratias agentes semper pro omnibus in nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi Deo et Patri,

Giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God and the Father:

Give thanks continually to God, who is our Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

subjecti invicem in timore Christi.

Being subject one to another, in the fear of Christ.

and, as you stand in awe of Christ, submit to each other’s rights.

Mulieres viris suis subditæ sint, sicut Domino:

Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord:

Wives must obey their husbands as they would obey the Lord.

quoniam vir caput est mulieris, sicut Christus caput est Ecclesiæ: ipse, salvator corporis ejus.

Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body.

The man is the head to which the woman’s body is united, just as Christ is the head of the Church, he, the Saviour on whom the safety of his body depends;

Sed sicut Ecclesia subjecta est Christo, ita et mulieres viris suis in omnibus.

Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things.

and women must owe obedience at all points to their husbands, as the Church does to Christ.

Viri, diligite uxores vestras, sicut et Christus dilexit Ecclesiam, et seipsum tradidit pro ea,

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it:

You who are husbands must shew love to your wives, as Christ shewed love to the Church when he gave himself up on its behalf.

ut illam sanctificaret, mundans lavacro aquæ in verbo vitæ,

That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life:

He would hallow it, purify it by bathing it in the water to which his word gave life;

ut exhiberet ipse sibi gloriosam Ecclesiam, non habentem maculam, aut rugam, aut aliquid hujusmodi, sed ut sit sancta et immaculata.

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.

he would summon it into his own presence, the Church in all its beauty, no stain, no wrinkle, no such disfigurement; it was to be holy, it was to be spotless.

Ita et viri debent diligere uxores suas ut corpora sua. Qui suam uxorem diligit, seipsum diligit.

So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself.

And that is how husband ought to love wife, as if she were his own body; in loving his wife, a man is but loving himself.

Nemo enim umquam carnem suam odio habuit: sed nutrit et fovet eam, sicut et Christus Ecclesiam:

For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the church:

It is unheard of, that a man should bear ill-will to his own flesh and blood; no, he keeps it fed and warmed; and so it is with Christ and his Church;

quia membra sumus corporis ejus, de carne ejus et de ossibus ejus.

Because we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

we are limbs of his body; flesh and bone, we belong to him.

Propter hoc relinquet homo patrem et matrem suam, et adhærebit uxori suæ, et erunt duo in carne una.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh.

That is why a man will leave his father and mother and will cling to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

Sacramentum hoc magnum est, ego autem dico in Christo et in Ecclesia.

This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church.

Yes, those words are a high mystery, and I am applying them here to Christ and his Church.

Verumtamen et vos singuli, unusquisque uxorem suam sicut seipsum diligat: uxor autem timeat virum suum.

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular love for his wife as himself: and let the wife fear her husband.

Meanwhile, each of you is to love his wife as he would love himself, and the wife is to pay reverence to her husband.