| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], the faithful in Christ Jesus. | 1This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. |
| 2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! | 2May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Spiritual Blessings |
| 3Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. | 3All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. |
| 4For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love. | 4Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. |
| 5He did this by predestining us to adoption as his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will-- | 5God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. |
| 6to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son. | 6So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. |
| 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace | 7He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. |
| 8that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. | 8He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. |
| 9He did this when he revealed to us the secret of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, | 9God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. |
| 10toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ--the things in heaven and the things on earth. | 10And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. |
| 11In Christ we too have been claimed as God's own possession, since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will | 11Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. |
| 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of his glory. | 12God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. |
| 13And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)--when you believed in Christ--you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, | 13And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. |
| 14who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory. | 14The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom |
| 15For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, | 15Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, |
| 16I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers. | 16I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, |
| 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him, | 17asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. |
| 18--since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened--so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, | 18I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. |
| 19and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength. | 19I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power |
| 20This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms | 20that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. |
| 21far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. | 21Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. |
| 22And God put all things under Christ's feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things. | 22God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. |
| 23Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. | 23And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. |
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