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Ephesians 1
New Living Translation

Greetings from Paul

1 This 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,[a] who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Spiritual Blessings

3 All 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. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God 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. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.[b] 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,[c] for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And 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[d] by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The 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

15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,[e] 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom[f] and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I 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.[g]

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now 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. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 The most ancient manuscripts do not include in Ephesus.
  2. 1:6 Greek to us in the beloved.
  3. 1:11 Or we have become God’s inheritance.
  4. 1:13 Or he put his seal on you.
  5. 1:15 Some manuscripts read your faithfulness to the Lord Jesus and to God’s people everywhere.
  6. 1:17 Or to give you the Spirit of wisdom.
  7. 1:18 Or called, and the rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his holy people.
Close ISV

Ephesians 1
International Standard Version

Greetings from Paul

1 From:[a] Paul, an apostle of the Messiah[b] Jesus by God’s will.

To: His holy and faithful people[c] in Ephesus[d] who are in union with the Messiah[e] Jesus.

2 May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[f] be yours!

The Many Blessings of Salvation

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah![g] He has blessed us in the Messiah[h] with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm, 4 just as he chose us in the Messiah[i] before the creation of the universe[j] to be holy and blameless in his presence. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself through Jesus the Messiah,[k] according to the pleasure of his will, 6 so that we would praise[l] his glorious grace that he gave us in the Beloved One. 7 In union with him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of God’s[m] grace 8 that he lavished on us, along with all wisdom and understanding, 9 when he made known to us the secret of his will. This was according to his plan that he set forth in the Messiah[n] 10 to usher in[o] the fullness of the times and to bring together in the Messiah[p] all things in heaven and on earth.

11 In the Messiah[q] we were also chosen when we were predestined according to the purpose of the one who does everything that he wills to do, 12 so that we who had already fixed our hope on the Messiah[r] might live for his praise and glory. 13 You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in the Messiah,[s] you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until God redeems his own possession[t] for his praise and glory.

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians

15 Therefore, because I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love[u] for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I mention you in my prayers. 17 I pray[v] that the God of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[w] the most glorious Father, would give you a wise spirit, along with revelation that comes through knowing the Messiah[x] fully. 18 Then, with the eyes of your hearts enlightened, you will know the confidence[y] that is produced by God[z] having called you,[aa] the rich glory that is his inheritance among the saints, 19 and the unlimited greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he brought about in the Messiah[ab] when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realm. 21 He is far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion, and every name that can be named, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come. 22 God[ac] has put everything under the Messiah’s[ad] feet and has made him the head of everything for the good of[ae] the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills everything in every way.[af]

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:1 The Gk. lacks From
  2. Ephesians 1:1 Or Christ
  3. Ephesians 1:1 Or to the saints and faithful
  4. Ephesians 1:1 Other mss. lack in Ephesus
  5. Ephesians 1:1 Or Christ
  6. Ephesians 1:2 Or Christ
  7. Ephesians 1:3 Or Christ
  8. Ephesians 1:3 Or Christ
  9. Ephesians 1:4 Lit. in him
  10. Ephesians 1:4 Or world
  11. Ephesians 1:5 Or Christ
  12. Ephesians 1:6 Lit. to the praise of
  13. Ephesians 1:7 Lit. his
  14. Ephesians 1:9 Lit. him
  15. Ephesians 1:10 Or administer
  16. Ephesians 1:10 Or Christ
  17. Ephesians 1:11 Lit. him
  18. Ephesians 1:12 Or Christ
  19. Ephesians 1:13 Lit. in him
  20. Ephesians 1:14 Lit. of the possession
  21. Ephesians 1:15 Other mss. lack your love
  22. Ephesians 1:17 The Gk. lacks I pray
  23. Ephesians 1:17 Or Christ
  24. Ephesians 1:17 Lit. knowing him
  25. Ephesians 1:18 Or hope
  26. Ephesians 1:18 Lit. him
  27. Ephesians 1:18 The Gk. lacks you
  28. Ephesians 1:20 Or Christ
  29. Ephesians 1:22 Lit. He
  30. Ephesians 1:22 Lit. under his
  31. Ephesians 1:22 The Gk. lacks the good of
  32. Ephesians 1:23 Or who fills all in all
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Ephesians 2
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New Living Translation (NLT)

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.


International Standard Version (ISV)

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