Ephesians

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: ²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ; ⁴even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love; ⁵having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, ⁶to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved, ⁷in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him ¹⁰to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him; ¹¹in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will; ¹²to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. ¹³In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory. ¹⁵For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints, ¹⁶don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, ¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; ¹⁸having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might ²⁰which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. ²²He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, ²in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience; ³among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; ⁸for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹not of works, that no one would boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

¹¹Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision”, (in the flesh, made by hands); ¹²that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, ¹⁵having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace; ¹⁶and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby. ¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, ²⁰being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; ²¹in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²²in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, ²if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you; ³how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words, ⁴by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; ⁵which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; ⁶that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News, ⁷of which I was made a servant, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power. ⁸To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ; ¹⁰to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord; ¹²in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him. ¹³Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

¹⁴For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; ¹⁷that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, ¹⁹and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, ²with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love; ³being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all. ⁷But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. ⁸Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” ⁹Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

¹¹He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; ¹²for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; ¹⁵but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; ¹⁶from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

¹⁷This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts; ¹⁹who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness. ²⁰But you did not learn Christ that way; ²¹if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: ²²that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit; ²³and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

²⁵Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another. ²⁶“Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷and don’t give place to the devil. ²⁸Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. ²⁹Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. ³²And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. ²Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance. ³But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints; ⁴nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate; but rather giving of thanks.

⁵Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. ⁷Therefore don’t be partakers with them. ⁸For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, ⁹for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, ¹⁰proving what is well pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them. ¹²For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. ¹³But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light. ¹⁴Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise; ¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord; ²⁰giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father; ²¹subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

²²Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body. ²⁴But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it; ²⁶that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect. ²⁸Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. ²⁹For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly; ³⁰because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. ³¹“For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.” ³²This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly. ³³Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ²“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: ³“that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”

⁴You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

⁵Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ; ⁶not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; ⁷with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men; ⁸knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.

⁹You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; ¹⁶above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints: ¹⁹on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

²¹But that you also may know my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things; ²²whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.

²³Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Amen.