| New Living Translation | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 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. | 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: |
| 2May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Spiritual Blessings | 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus 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. | 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 before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. | 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love |
| 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. | 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, |
| 6So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. | 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. |
| 7He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. | 7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace |
| 8He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. | 8which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight |
| 9God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. | 9He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him |
| 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. | 10with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him |
| 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. | 11also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, |
| 12God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. | 12to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. |
| 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. | 13In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, |
| 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 | 14who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. |
| 15Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, | 15For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, |
| 16I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, | 16do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; |
| 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. | 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. |
| 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. | 18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, |
| 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 | 19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might |
| 20that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. | 20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, |
| 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. | 21far above all 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. |
| 22God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. | 22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, |
| 23And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. | 23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. |
| 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. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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