| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. | 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 to you and peace 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 |
| 3Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. | 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 Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless 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 predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and 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 His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved. | 6So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. |
| 7We have redemption in Him 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 with all wisdom and understanding. | 8He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. |
| 9He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him | 9God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. |
| 10for the administration of the days of fulfillment--to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth 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. |
| 11We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision 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 had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory. | 12God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. |
| 13When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with 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. |
| 14He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the 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 |
| 15This is why, since I heard about 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 never stop giving thanks for you as 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 glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the 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. |
| 18I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among 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 immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast 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 |
| 20He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens-- | 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 ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, 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 He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, | 22God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. |
| 23which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way. | 23And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | 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. |
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