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

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.

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

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

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

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

solliciti servare unitatem Spiritus in vinculo pacis.

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

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

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

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

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

Unus Dominus, una fides, unum baptisma.

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

One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

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

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

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

Unicuique autem nostrum data est gratia secundum mensuram donationis Christi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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;

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;

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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,

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Vos autem non ita didicistis Christum,

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

But you have not so learned Christ;

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Renovamini autem spiritu mentis vestræ,

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

And be renewed in spirit of your mind:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nolite locum dare diabolo:

Do not give the devil his opportunity.

Give not place to the devil.

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

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.

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.

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

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;

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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