| New Living Translation | English Standard Version |
| 1When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . | 1For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— |
| 2assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. | 2assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, |
| 3As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. | 3how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. |
| 4As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. | 4When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, |
| 5God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. | 5which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. |
| 6And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. | 6This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. |
| 7By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. | 7Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. |
| 8Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. | 8To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, |
| 9I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. | 9and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, |
| 10God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. | 10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. |
| 11This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. | 11This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, |
| 12Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. | 12in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. |
| 13So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored. Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth | 13So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. |
| 14When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, | 14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, |
| 15the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. | 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, |
| 16I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. | 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, |
| 17Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. | 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, |
| 18And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. | 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, |
| 19May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. | 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. |
| 20Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. | 20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, |
| 21Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. | 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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