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EPH AICNT_20231009

1 Paul, an apostle of {Christ[fn] Jesus}[fn] by the will of God, to the saints who are [in Ephesus] and[fn] faithful in Christ Jesus, 2 grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love, 5 having predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight, 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him 10 for the administration of the fullness of the times, to gather up all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on earth in him.

11 In him we have also obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,[fn] 14 which is the pledge of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, for the praise of its glory.

15 For this reason, I too, having heard of the faith among you in the Lord Jesus and the love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your heart enlightened to know what is the hope of his calling, [[and]][fn] what is the wealth of the glory of his inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working[fn] of the might of his strength, 20 which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and {sitting}[fn] him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come; 22 and he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

2 And you, being dead in [your][fn] trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience; 3 Among whom we all also once conducted ourselves in the desires of our flesh, doing the will of the flesh and of the thoughts, and we were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, – by grace you have been saved – 6 and raised us up together, and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through [[the]][fn] faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

11 Therefore, remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, were called “uncircumcision” by those called “circumcision,” which is made in the flesh by hands. 12 At that time you were without Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who has made both one and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, in his flesh, 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having put to death the hostility in him.

17 And coming, he proclaimed peace to you who are far away and peace to those who are near. 18 For through him we both[fn] have access in one spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but [you are][fn] fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with {Christ Jesus}[fn] himself as the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.

3 For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ [Jesus][fn] on behalf of you Gentiles – 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace given to me for you, 3 [that][fn] by revelation the mystery {it was}[fn] made known to me, as I wrote briefly before, 4 by which, when you read, you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of {the}[fn] promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I became a servant according to the gift of God's grace given to me according to the working[fn] of his power.

8 To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach {to}[fn] the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ 9 and to enlighten [all] as to what is the administration of the mystery which has been hidden from the ages in God, who created all things [[through Jesus Christ]],[fn] 10 so that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to the purpose of the ages which he made in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him.

13 Therefore, I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, which is your glory.

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father [[of our Lord Jesus Christ]],[fn] 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 so that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, rooted and grounded in love, 18 that you may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church [and][fn] in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

4 Therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord,[fn] one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in [[us]][fn] all.

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, [[and]][fn] he gave gifts to men.”[fn] 9 But what does “he ascended” mean, if not that he also [[first]][fn] descended into the lower [parts][fn] of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, in order to fill[fn] all things.

11 And it is this one who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, Christ, 16 From whom the whole body, being joined together and being held together by every supporting ligament, according to the working[fn] in the measure of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the [[rest of the]][fn] nations also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being {dead}[fn] in their thinking, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to the hardness of their hearts, 19 who, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard [about] him and were taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 To put off, according to the former way of life, the old man,[fn] who is being corrupted according to the desires of deceit, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new person, created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth, each one with their neighbor, for we are members of one another.[fn]

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,[fn] 27 nor give place to the devil.

28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, working for the good with his [own][fn] hands, so that he may have something to share with those in need.

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit[fn] of God, by which you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor[fn] and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave {you}.[fn]

5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper for saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness, foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are not {permitted},[fn] but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this you know, understanding that every sexually immoral person or impure person or greedy person, which is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words; for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

7 Therefore, do not become {partakers}[fn] with them; 8 for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light 9 - for the fruit of the {light}[fn] is in all goodness and righteousness and truth - 10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord, 11 and do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even expose them.

12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things done by them in secret, 13 but all things exposed by the light become visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

15 So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 For this reason, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

18 And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another [in][fn] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to the God and Father.

21 Submit to one another in the fear of {Christ}.[fn]

22 Wives, [be subject][fn] to your own husbands as to the Lord, 23 for a man is the head of the woman, just as Christ is the head of the church, [[and]][fn] he himself is the savior of the body.

24 But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives to their [[own]][fn] husbands in everything.

25 Men, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 in order to sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present [[her]][fn] to himself the glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she might be holy and blameless.

28 In this way [also],[fn] men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.

29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as {Christ}[fn] also does the church, 30 because we are members of his body [[of his flesh and of his bones]].[fn]

31 For this reason a man will leave [[his]][fn] father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, you, each one of you, should love his own wife in this way, as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.

6 Children, obey your parents [in the Lord]; for this is right.

2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3 so that it may go well with you and you may live long on the earth.[fn]

4 And fathers, do not provoke your children, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

5 Slaves,[fn] obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, 6 not with eye-service as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul, 7 serving with goodwill as to the Lord and not to men, 8 {knowing that each one, if he does something good},[fn] will receive this from the Lord, whether slave or free.

9 And masters, do the same to them, giving up threatening, knowing that {both their Master and yours}[fn] is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

10 Finally [[my brothers]],[fn] be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil;

12 For our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of {this darkness},[fn] against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.

15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.

16 {In all},[fn] taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one;

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication.

To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

21 So that you also may know about my circumstances, what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you. 22 Whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.

23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruptibility.[fn] [[Amen]][fn]