Unity with Christ
1 As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. 3 Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. 4 All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people. 5 We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. 6 There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.
7 Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us. 8 As the Scriptures say,
“When he went up
to the highest place,
he led away many prisoners
and gave gifts to people.”
9 When it says, “he went up,” it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. 10 This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so he would fill the whole universe.
11 Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, 12 so his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. 13 This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.
14 We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. 15 Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head 16 of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.
The Old Life and the New Life
17 As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. 18 Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, 19 and they are so greedy they do all kinds of indecent things.
20-21 But this isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. 22 You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. 23 Let the Spirit change your way of thinking 24 and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.
Rules for the New Life
25 We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. 26 Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry 27 and don't give the devil a chance.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.
29 Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.
30 Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.
31 Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32 Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.
Okukara noruwano mombongo
1 Nu nambano ami ngu mbi ri omupandekwa motjimbe tjokutja mbi karera Muhona, me mu rongo kutja mu hupe otja komaisaneno ngunga amwa isanewa na wo i Ndjambi. 2 Aruhe risusupariseye nu mu rire ozongozu nu mu kare nomuretima. Nu zarasaneye norusuvero. 3 Kondjeye okuṱakamisa oruwano ndu mu pewa i Ombepo ya Ndjambi. Nohange ndji za ku Ndjambi ngai mu waneke kumwe. 4 Eṱe oweṱe orutu rumwe uriri, neṱe atuhe tuna Ombepo imwe uriri, punga ape nomaundjiro yemwe uriri Ndjambi ke mu isanena. 5 Muhona iumwe uriri, nongamburiro iimwe uriri, nombapitisimo iimwe uriri. 6 Ndjambi nu Ihe yovandu avehe eye iumwe uriri. Eye oMuhona waavehe, nu u ungura mu avehe nu u ri mu avehe.
7 Auhe mokati ketu wa pewa otjiungura tjapeke tjotjari otja kotjisanekero Kristus tje tu pa. 8 Omatjangwa opu maye zu okutja:
“Eye tja ronda kombandambanda
wa twaerera ovahuurwa ovengi
nu wa yandja oviyandjewa kovandu.”
9 Nambano ingwi okutja “Eye wa ronda” maku hee tjike? Okwo maku hee kutja eye rutenga wa punda kehi nguno kombanda yehi. 10 Nu ingwi ngwa pundire kehi ongunga e ri ye ngwi ngwa rondere kombanda yomayuru aehe kutja e keurise avihe. 11 Nu “oviyandjewa” Eye “mbya yandja” ovyo mbi: Tjiva we ve toorora okurira ovaapostele, tjiva okurira ovaprofete, tjiva okurira ovazuvarise vombuze Ombwa, tjiva okurira ovanene wombongo na tjiva okurira ovahonge. 12 Eye we ve toororera okurongerisa otjiwaṋa tja Ndjambi otjiungura tjoukriste, kokutja ve tunge orutu rwa Kristus. 13 Eṱe atuhe otji matu kaworongana moruwano rumwe mongamburiro yetu na mondjiviro yetu yOmuna wa Ndjambi, notji matu rire ovandu mbe kura okuvaza omuseka ohamukwao na imbwi owa Kristus. 14 Notji tu hi nokuuhara amatu rire ovanatje rukwao; eṱe katu tji nakukandakandisiwa rukwao tjimuna ozongazona nokuhingwa i ombepo ngamwa aihe yomahongero omapukise, ovahonge woposyo tji mave vanga okutupopa nomapopero nomatjendje wawo. 15 Nu moruveze rwanao, mena rorusuvero eṱe matu panḓere pokuhungira ouatjiri, nu komuhingo mbwi matu kuru okusana ku Kristus, ngu ri otjiuru tjombongo. 16 Nu mu ye omu mu za orutu aruhe. Ouṋepo auhe worutu u yenenasana, nu auhe pamwe au rire otjiṋa tjimwe; norutu otji ru ritunga oruini morusuvero.
Ongarero ombe mu Kristus
17 Mena ra Muhona ami me mu rongo tjinene: Amu panḓere pokuhupa otja ovandu mbe ha tjiwa ombango ya Ndjambi. Omerizemburukiro wawo owo opouriri, 18 omeripuriro wawo owo onḓorera. Nowo kave norupa momuinyo Ndjambi mbwe yandja, tjinga ave ha vanga okutjiwa Ndjambi nu tjinga averi ovirangaranga. 19 Owo kave tji nahoṋi nangarire kaṱiṱi; ve riyandja oveni kouvi ngamwa auhe, nu ve tjita ouhakohoke nokuhinomeritjaerero.
20 Neṋe katji mwe rihonga Kristus nao. 21 Eṋe, tjiri, mwe mu zuva, neṋe mbu mu ri ovakongorere ve mwa hongwa imbwi ouatjiri mbu ri mu Jesus. 22 Hukureye omundu omukuru ngwe mu kareka mongarero yeṋu onguru, ingwi omundu omukuru ngwaa nyonwa i ozonḓuma ze ozombukise. 23 Omitima vyeṋu nomeripuriro weṋu vi sokuyarurwa koupe. 24 Neṋe mamu sokuzara omundu omupe ngwa utwa kosaneno ya Ndjambi nu ngu riraisa mongarero osemba nondjapuke youatjiri.
25 Opu mwa sokuisa okukora ovizeze; auhe nga hungire ouatjiri komukambure omukwao, atuhe pamwe tjinga atu ri ouṋepo morutu rwa Kristus. 26 Amu tjiti ourunde nandi mwa ṱomazenge, nu hanganeye eyuva ngunda ari hiya hita, 27 Satan amu mu pe oruveze kutja e mu kambure. 28 Omundu ngwaa vaka, a ha vaka rukwao; nu nga ute okuungura e rimwine omuini ondjambi ombwa, nu a yenene okuvatera ovasyona. 29 Ngaamu hungire omambo omatwe novinyo vyeṋu; nungwari hungireye omambo omawa nomatunge otja pu pe ri ohepero, kokutja inga ngu mamu hungire, ye yandje onyuṋe kovapuratena. 30 Amu yandja oruhoze kOmbepo Ondjapuke ya Ndjambi, orondu eye me mu haka notjihako okurira ouini wa Ndjambi keyuva ronguturiro. 31 Iseye ongore ngamwa aihe, nomapindi nomazenge. Amu rokoha nokuyamburura ovakweṋu, nu amu tjiti otjiṋa ngamwa atjihe otjivi. 32 Karasaneye nouwa nomitima omitarazu, nu mu isirasane otja Ndjambi wina punga e mu isira mu Kristus.
