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Ephesians 3:7-21
New Living Translation
Ephesians 3:7-21
New Living Translation
7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
8 Though 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. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone[a] this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
10 God’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. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Because of Christ and our faith in him,[b] we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 13 So 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
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[c] 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.[d] 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then 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. 18 And 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. 19 May 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.
20 Now 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. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
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Ephesians 3:7-21
New International Version
Ephesians 3:7-21
New International Version
7 I became a servant of this gospel(A) by the gift of God’s grace given me(B) through the working of his power.(C) 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,(D) this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles(E) the boundless riches of Christ,(F) 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,(G) which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God(H) should be made known(I) to the rulers and authorities(J) in the heavenly realms,(K) 11 according to his eternal purpose(L) that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God(M) with freedom and confidence.(N) 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I kneel(O) before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches(P) he may strengthen you with power(Q) through his Spirit in your inner being,(R) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts(S) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted(T) and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,(U) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep(V) is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge(W)—that you may be filled(X) to the measure of all the fullness of God.(Y)
20 Now to him who is able(Z) to do immeasurably more than all we ask(AA) or imagine, according to his power(AB) that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.(AC)
Footnotes
- Ephesians 3:15 The Greek for family (patria) is derived from the Greek for father (pater).
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.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.