ISV - Ephesians

Chapter 1

1:1  The Letter of Paul to the EphesiansGreetings from PaulFromThe Gk. lacks From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, to his holy and faithful peopleOr to the saints and faithful in EphesusOther mss. lack in Ephesus who are in union with Christ Jesus.

1:2  May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be yours!

1:3  The Many Blessings of SalvationBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm,

1:4  just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his presence. In love

1:5  he predestined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will,

1:6  so that we would praiseLit. to the praise of his glorious grace that he gave us in the Beloved One.

1:7  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of God'sLit. his grace

1:8  that he lavished on us, along with all wisdom and understanding,

1:9  when he made known to us the secret of his will. This was according to his plan that he set forth in ChristLit. him

1:10  to usher inOr administer the fullness of the times and to gather up all things in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth.

1:11  In ChristLit. him we were also chosen when we were predestined according to the purpose of the one who does everything according to the intention of his will,

1:12  so that we who had already fixed our hope on Christ might live for his praise and glory.

1:13  You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

1:14  who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of God's own possession,Lit. of the possession to his praise and glory.

1:15  Paul's Prayer for the EphesiansTherefore, because I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your loveOther mss. lack your love for all the saints,

1:16  I never stop giving thanks for you as I mention you in my prayers.

1:17  I prayThe Gk. lacks I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father most glorious,Lit. the Father of glory would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation through knowing ChristLit. him fully.

1:18  Then, with the eyes of your hearts enlightened, you will know the hope of his calling, the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,

1:19  and the unlimited greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his mighty strength,

1:20  which he put to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realm.

1:21  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.

1:22  GodLit. He has put everything under his feet and has made him the head of everything for the good ofThe Gk. lacks the good of the church,

1:23  which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills everything in every way.Or who fills all in all

Chapter 2

2:1  God Has Brought Us from Death to LifeYou used to be dead because of your offenses and sins,

2:2  in which you once lived according to the ways of this present world and according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now active in those who are disobedient.Lit. the sons of disobedience

2:3  Indeed, all of us once behaved likeOr lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and senses. By nature we deserved wrath,Lit. were children of wrath just like everyone else.

2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for usLit. love with which he loved us

2:5  even when we were dead because of our offenses, made us alive together withOther mss. read in Christ (by grace you have been saved),

2:6  raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus,

2:7  so that in the coming ages he might display the limitless riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

2:8  For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God

2:9  and not the result of works, lest anyone boast.

2:10  For we are his masterpiece,Or workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared long ago to be our way of life.Lit. so that we might walk in them

2:11  All Believers Are One in ChristSo then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles by birthLit. in the flesh and were called “the uncircumcision” by what is called “the circumcision” made in the flesh by hands.

2:12  At that time you were without Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel,Or from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise. You had no hope and were in the world without God.

2:13  But now, in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

2:14  For it is he who is our peace. In his flesh he made both groups one by tearing down the wall of hostility that divided them.Lit. the dividing wall of hostility

2:15  He rendered the law inoperative, along with its commandments and regulations, so that he might create in himself one new humanity from the two, thus making peace,

2:16  and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, on which he killed the hostility.

2:17  He came and proclaimed peace for you who were far away and for you who were near.

2:18  For through him, both of usI.e. both Jews and Gentiles have access to the Father inOr by one Spirit.

2:19  That is why you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household,

2:20  having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.Or capstone

2:21  In him the whole building is joined together and rises into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.

2:22  You, too, are being built in him along with the others into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Chapter 3

3:1  Paul's Ministry to the GentilesFor this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.

3:2  Surely you have heard about the responsibility of administering God's grace that was given to me on your behalf,

3:3  and how this secret was made known to me through a revelation, just as I wrote about briefly in the past.

3:4  By reading this, you will be able to grasp my understanding of the secret about Christ,

3:5  which in previous generations was not made known to human beingsLit. the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God'sLit. his holy apostles and prophets:

3:6  The Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow sharers of what was promisedLit. of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

3:7  I have become a servant of this gospelLit. of it according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power.

3:8  To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given so that I might proclaim to the Gentiles the immeasurable wealth of Christ

3:9  and help everyone see how this secret, which was hidden for ages in God who created all things, has been at work.

3:10  He did thisThe Gk. lacks He did this so that now, through the church, the wisdom of God in all its variety might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm

3:11  in keeping with the eternal purpose that GodLit. he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord,

3:12  in whom we have boldness and confident access through his faithfulness.Or through faith in him

3:13  So then, I ask you not to become discouraged because of my troubles on your behalf, which are your glory.

3:14  To Know Christ's LoveThis is the reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Other mss. lack of our Lord Jesus Christ

3:15  from whom every familyOr all fatherhood in heaven and on earth receives its name.

3:16  I prayThe Gk. lacks I pray that he would give you, according to his glorious riches, strength in your inner being and power through his Spirit,

3:17  and that Christ would make his home in your hearts through faith. Then, having been rooted and grounded in love,

3:18  you will be able to understand, along with all the saints, what is wide, long, high, and deep—

3:19  that is, you will know the love of Christ, which goes far beyond knowledge, and will be filled with all the fullness of God.

3:20  Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working amongOr in us—

3:21  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

Chapter 4

4:1  Christ's Gifts to the ChurchI, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to live in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

4:2  with all humility and gentleness, along with patience, accepting one another in love.

4:3  Do your best to maintain the unity of the Spirit by means of the bond of peace.

4:4  There is one body and one Spirit. In the same way, you were called to the one hope of your calling.

4:5  There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

4:6  one God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in all.

4:7  Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

4:8  That is why GodLit. he says, “When he went up to the highest placehe led captives into captivityand gave gifts to people.”Ps 68:18

4:9  Now what does this “he went up” mean except that he also had goneOther mss. read had first gone down into the lower parts of the earth?Or parts, that

4:10  The one who went down is the same one who went up above all the heavens so that he might fill everything.

4:11  And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers,

4:12  to perfectOr equip the saints, to do the work of ministry, and to build up the body of Christ

4:13  until all of us are united in the faith and in the full knowledge of God's Son, and until we attain mature adulthood and the full standard of development in Christ.

4:14  Then we will no longer be little children, tossed like waves and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, or by clever strategies that would lead us astray.

4:15  Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely into the one who is the head, that is, into Christ,

4:16  in whom the whole body is united and held together by every ligament with which it is supplied. As each individual part does its job, the body's growth is promoted so that it builds itself up in love.

4:17  The Old Life and the NewTherefore, I tell you and insist onOr testify in the Lord not to live any longer like the Gentiles live, thinking worthless thoughts.Lit. in the worthlessness of their mind

4:18  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart.

4:19  Since they have lost all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to sensuality and practice every kind of sexual perversion without restraint.

4:20  However, that is not the way you came to know Christ.

4:21  Surely you have listened to him and have been taught by him, since truth is in Jesus.

4:22  Regarding your former way of life, you were taughtThe Gk. lacks you were taught to strip off your old man, which is being ruined by its deceptive desires,

4:23  to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

4:24  and to clothe yourselves with the new man, which was created according to the likeness ofThe Gk. lacks the likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness.

4:25  Living As God's PeopleTherefore, stripping off falsehood, “let each of us speak the truth to his neighbor,”Zech 8:16 for we are members of one another.

4:26  “Be angry, yet do not sin.”Ps 4:4 Do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

4:27  and do not give the devil an opportunity to work.The Gk. lacks to work

4:28  The thief must no longer steal but must work hard and do what is good with his own hands, so that he might have something to give to the needy.

4:29  Let no filthy talk come out of your mouths, but only what is good for building up as the need may be. This way you will give grace to those who hear you.

4:30  Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.

4:31  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, quarreling, and slander be put away from you, along with all hatred.

4:32  And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another just as God has forgiven youOther mss. read us in Christ.

Chapter 5

5:1  So be imitators of God, as his dear children.

5:2  Live in love as Christ also loved usOther mss. read you and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God.

5:3  Do not let sexual sin, impurity of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints.

5:4  Obscene, flippant, or vulgar talk is totally inappropriate. Instead, let there be thanksgiving.

5:5  For you know very well that no immoral or impure person, or anyone who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

5:6  Living in the LightDo not let anyone deceive you with meaningless words, for it is because of these things that God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.Lit. the sons of disobedience

5:7  So do not be partners with them.

5:8  For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.

5:9  For the fruit of the lightOther mss. read of the Spirit consists of every form of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

5:10  Determine what pleases the Lord,

5:11  and have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness. Instead, expose them for what they are.

5:12  For it is shameful even to mention what is done by peopleLit. them in secret.

5:13  But everything that is exposed to the light becomes visible,

5:14  for everything that is visible is light. That is why it says, “Wake up, O sleeper!Arise from the dead,And Christ will shine on you.’’The source of this quote is unknown.

5:15  Wise BehaviorSo, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise,

5:16  making the best use of timeOr buying up the time because the days are evil.

5:17  Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

5:18  Stop gettingOr Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit.

5:19  Then you will recite to one another psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. You will sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts.

5:20  You will always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

5:21  And you will submit yourselves to one another out of reverence forOr in the fear of Christ.

5:22  Wives, submit yourselvesOther mss. lack submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord.

5:23  For the husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. It is he who is the Savior of the body.

5:24  Indeed, just as the church is submissive to Christ, so wives must be submissiveThe Gk. lacks must be submissive to their husbands in everything.

5:25  Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it,

5:26  so that he might make it holy by cleansing it, washing it with water and the word,

5:27  and might present the church to himself in all its glory, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, but holy and without fault.

5:28  In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they loveThe Gk. lacks they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself.

5:29  For no one has ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, as Christ doesThe Gk. lacks does the church.

5:30  For we are parts of his body—of his flesh and of his bones.Other mss. lack of his flesh and of his bones

5:31  “That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”Gen 2:24

5:32  This is a great secret, but I am talking about Christ and the church.

5:33  But each individual man among you must love his wife as he lovesThe Gk. lacks he loves himself; and may the wife fear her husband.

Chapter 6

6:1  Advice for Children and ParentsChildren, obey your parents in the Lord,Other mss. lack in the Lord for this is the right thing to do.

6:2  “Honor your father and mother.” This is a very important commandment with a promise:

6:3  “So that it may go well for you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.”Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16

6:4  Fathers, do not make your children angry, but bring them up in the trainingOr discipline and instruction of the Lord.

6:5  Advice for Slaves and MastersSlaves, obey your earthly masters with fear, with trembling, and along with sincerity,Lit. With sincerity as when you obey Christ.Lit. as to Christ

6:6  Do not do this only while being watched in order to please them, but be like slaves of Christ who do God's will from the heart.

6:7  Serve willingly, as if you were serving the Lord and not merely people.Lit. as to the Lord and not people

6:8  For you know that everyone will receive a reward from the Lord for whatever good he has done, whether he is a slave or free.

6:9  Masters, treat your slavesLit. them the same way. Do not threaten them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

6:10  Putting on the Whole Armor of GodFinally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty strength.

6:11  Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the devil's strategies.Or schemes

6:12  For ourOther mss. read your struggle is not against a human opponent,Lit. flesh and blood but against rulers, against authorities, against cosmic powers in the darkness around us,Lit. of this darkness against evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.

6:13  For this reason, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to take a stand in that evil day. And when you have done everything you could, you will be able to stand firm.

6:14  Stand firm, therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

6:15  and having put shoes on your feet so that you are ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.Lit. in readiness for the gospel of peace

6:16  In addition to all of these, having taken up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one,

6:17  also take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

6:18  Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert with every kind of effort and request for all the saints.

6:19  PrayThe Gk. lacks Pray also for me, so that, when I open my mouth, the right words will be given to me. Then I will boldly make known the secret of the gospel,

6:20  for whose sake I am an ambassador in chains, desiring to declare it as boldly as I should.Lit. as I should speak

6:21  Final GreetingSo that you may know what has happened to me and how I am doing, Tychicus, our dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything.

6:22  I am sending him to you for this very reason, so that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts.

6:23  May the brothers have peace and love, with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

6:24  May grace be with all who love the Lord Jesus Christ with sincerity!Other mss. read with sincerity! Amen.