Obsecro itaque vos ego vinctus in Domino, ut digne ambuletis vocatione, qua vocati estis,

I THEREFORE, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called,

Here, then, is one who wears chains in the Lord’s service, pleading with you to live as befits men called to such a vocation as yours.

cum omni humilitate, et mansuetudine, cum patientia, supportantes invicem in caritate,

With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity.

You must be always humble, always gentle; patient, too, in bearing with one another’s faults, as charity bids;

solliciti servare unitatem Spiritus in vinculo pacis.

Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

eager to preserve that unity the Spirit gives you, whose bond is peace.

Unum corpus, et unus Spiritus, sicut vocati estis in una spe vocationis vestræ.

One body and one Spirit; as you are called in one hope of your calling.

You are one body, with a single Spirit; each of you, when he was called, called in the same hope;

Unus Dominus, una fides, unum baptisma.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

with the same Lord, the same faith, the same baptism;

Unus Deus et Pater omnium, qui est super omnes, et per omnia, et in omnibus nobis.

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all.

with the same God, the same Father, all of us, who is above all beings, pervades all things, and lives in all of us.

Unicuique autem nostrum data est gratia secundum mensuram donationis Christi.

But to every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the giving of Christ.

But each of us has received his own special grace, dealt out to him by Christ’s gift.

Propter quod dicit: Ascendens in altum, captivam duxit captivitatem: dedit dona hominibus.

Wherefore he saith: Ascending on high, he led captivity captive; he gave gifts to men.

(That is why we are told, He has mounted up on high; he has captured his spoil; he has brought gifts to men.

Quod autem ascendit, quid est, nisi quia et descendit primum in inferiores partes terræ?

Now that he ascended, what is it, but because he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

The words, He has gone up, must mean that he had gone down, first, to the lower regions of earth.

Qui descendit, ipse est et qui ascendit super omnes cælos, ut impleret omnia.

He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

And he who so went down is no other than he who has gone up, high above all the heavens, to fill creation with his presence.)

Et ipse dedit quosdam quidem apostolos, quosdam autem prophetas, alios vero evangelistas, alios autem pastores et doctores,

And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors,

Some he has appointed to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, or pastors, or teachers.

ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerii, in ædificationem corporis Christi:

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

They are to order the lives of the faithful, minister to their needs, build up the frame of Christ’s body,

donec occurramus omnes in unitatem fidei, et agnitionis Filii Dei, in virum perfectum, in mensuram ætatis plenitudinis Christi:

Until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ;

until we all realize our common unity through faith in the Son of God, and fuller knowledge of him. So we shall reach perfect manhood, that maturity which is proportioned to the completed growth of Christ;

ut jam non simus parvuli fluctuantes, et circumferamur omni vento doctrinæ in nequitia hominum, in astutia ad circumventionem erroris.

That henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive.

we are no longer to be children, no longer to be like storm-tossed sailors, driven before the wind of each new doctrine that human subtlety, human skill in fabricating lies, may propound.

Veritatem autem facientes in caritate, crescamus in illo per omnia, qui est caput Christus:

But doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him who is the head, even Christ:

We are to follow the truth, in a spirit of charity, and so grow up, in everything, into a due proportion with Christ, who is our head.

ex quo totum corpus compactum et connexum per omnem juncturam subministrationis, secundum operationem in mensuram uniuscujusque membri, augmentum corporis facit in ædificationem sui in caritate.

From whom the whole body, being compacted and fitly joined together, by what every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in charity.

On him all the body depends; it is organized and unified by each contact with the source which supplies it; and thus, each limb receiving the active power it needs, it achieves its natural growth, building itself up through charity.

Hoc igitur dico, et testificor in Domino, ut jam non ambuletis, sicut et gentes ambulant in vanitate sensus sui,

This then I say and testify in the Lord: That henceforward you walk not as also the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind,

This, then, is my message to you; I call upon you in the Lord’s name not to live like the Gentiles, who make vain fancies their rule of life.

tenebris obscuratum habentes intellectum, alienati a vita Dei per ignorantiam, quæ est in illis, propter cæcitatem cordis ipsorum,

Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.

Their minds are clouded with darkness; the hardness of their hearts breeds in them an ignorance, which estranges them from the divine life;

qui desperantes, semetipsos tradiderunt impudicitiæ, in operationem immunditiæ omnis in avaritiam.

Who despairing, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness.

and so, in despair, they have given themselves up to incontinence, to selfish habits of impurity.

Vos autem non ita didicistis Christum,

But you have not so learned Christ;

This is not the lesson you have learned in making Christ your study,

si tamen illum audistis, et in ipso edocti estis, sicut est veritas in Jesu,

If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus:

if you have really listened to him. If true knowledge is to be found in Jesus, you will have learned in his school

deponere vos secundum pristinam conversationem veterem hominem, qui corrumpitur secundum desideria erroris.

To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error.

that you must be quit, now, of the old self whose way of life you remember, the self that wasted its aim on false dreams.

Renovamini autem spiritu mentis vestræ,

And be renewed in spirit of your mind:

There must be a renewal in the inner life of your minds;

et induite novum hominem, qui secundum Deum creatus est in justitia, et sanctitate veritatis.

And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.

you must be clothed in the new self, which is created in God’s image, justified and sanctified through the truth.

Propter quod deponentes mendacium, loquimini veritatem unusquisque cum proximo suo: quoniam sumus invicem membra.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak ye the truth every man with his neighbour; for we are members one of another.

Away with falsehood, then; let everyone speak out the truth to his neighbour; membership of the body binds us to one another.

Irascimini, et nolite peccare: sol non occidat super iracundiam vestram.

Be angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger.

Do not let resentment lead you into sin; the sunset must not find you still angry.

Nolite locum dare diabolo:

Give not place to the devil.

Do not give the devil his opportunity.

qui furabatur, jam non furetur: magis autem laboret, operando manibus suis, quod bonum est, ut habeat unde tribuat necessitatem patienti.

He that stole, let him now steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have something to give to him that suffereth need.

The man who was a thief must be a thief no longer; let him work instead, and earn by his own labour the blessings he will be able to share with those who are in need.

Omnis sermo malus ex ore vestro non procedat: sed si quis bonus ad ædificationem fidei ut det gratiam audientibus.

Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth; but that which is good, to the edification of faith, that it may administer grace to the hearers.

No base talk must cross your lips; only what will serve to build up the faith, and bring a grace to those who are listening;

Et nolite contristare Spiritum Sanctum Dei: in quo signati estis in diem redemptionis.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God: whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.

do not distress God’s holy Spirit, whose seal you bear until the day of your redemption comes.

Omnis amaritudo, et ira, et indignatio, et clamor, et blasphemia tollatur a vobis cum omni malitia.

Let all bitterness, and anger, and indignation, and clamour, and blasphemy, be put away from you, with all malice.

There must be no trace of bitterness among you, of passion, resentment, quarrelling, insulting talk, or spite of any kind;

Estote autem invicem benigni, misericordes, donantes invicem sicut et Deus in Christo donavit vobis.

And be ye kind one to another; merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ.

be kind and tender to one another, each of you generous to all, as God in Christ has been generous to you.