1 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are [[in Ephesus]], and believers in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly regions in Christ; 4 according as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him; 5 having in love predestinated us for himself to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved; 7 in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he made to abound toward us, in all wisdom and understanding; 9 having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself 10 in reference to the dispensation of the fullness of the times, to gather for himself into one all things in Christ, the things which are in the heavens, and the things on the earth; even in him, 11 in whom we also obtained the inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, 12 that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who have before placed our hope in the Messiah; 13 in whom ye also, after having heard the word of truth, the glad tidings of your salvation, in whom, I say, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit that was promised, 14 which is a pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory. 15 For this cause I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and of your love to all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of him; 18 the eyes of your mind being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope belonging to his call of you, and what the riches of the glory of the inheritance which he hath given among the saints, 19 and what the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead; and seated him at his own right hand in the heavenly regions, 21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; 22 and put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who filleth all with all;
2 1 and you also [[he raised up]], who were dead through your trespasses and sins, 2 in which ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience; 3 among whom even we all had our way of life in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath, even as others; 4 but God, who is rich in mercy, on account of his great love wherewith he loved us, gave to us, 5 even when dead through our trespasses, life with Christ,—by grace have ye been saved,— 6 and raised us up with him, and caused us to sit with him in the heavenly regions in Christ Jesus, 7 that he might show in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace ye have been saved, through faith; and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, lest any one should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them. 11 Wherefore remember, that in time past ye, the gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcised by those who are called circumcised, having the circumcision of the flesh, performed by hand,— 12 that ye were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God, in the world; 13 but now, in Christ Jesus, ye, who formerly were afar off, have been brought nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For it is he who is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition between us, that is, the enmity; 15 having abolished in his flesh the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create of the two one new man in himself, thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, having slain on it the enmity. 17 And he came and brought the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off, and of peace to those that were near; 18 for through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then ye are no longer strangers and foreigners, but are fellow-citizens with the saints, and members of the household of God, 20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner-stone; 21 in whom all the building, fitly framed together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom ye also are built together into a dwelling-place of God in the Spirit.
3 1 For this cause [[I bend my knees]], I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you gentiles; 2 if, indeed, ye heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given me toward you, 3 that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words, 4 whereby, when ye read, ye may perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ; 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 that the gentiles are fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers with us of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel; 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God, given to me according to the effectual working of his power. 8 To me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to make known among the gentiles the glad tidings of the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which hath been hidden for ages in God, who created all things; 10 to the intent that now to the principalities and powers in the heavenly regions might be known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 according to his purpose for ages, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord; 12 in whom we have our boldness and our access in confidence, through faith in him. 13 Wherefore I entreat you not to be disheartened by the troubles I am suffering for you, since they are your glory. 14 For this cause I bend my knees to the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth receiveth its name, 16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, ye having been rooted and grounded in love, 18 that ye may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, 19 and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 to him be the glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.
4 1 I exhort you, therefore, I the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which ye were called, 2 with all humility and meekness, with long-suffering; bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. 7 But to each one of us was given the grace [[which he hath]] according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith: “When he ascended on high, he led captive a train of captives, and gave gifts to men.” 9 Now what is implied in his ascending, but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same as he who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministration, for the building up of the body of Christ; 13 till we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and borne about by every wind of teaching, through the dishonest tricks of men, and their cunning in the wily arts of error; 15 but cleaving to truth in love, may grow up in all things unto him who is the head, even Christ; 16 from whom the whole body, well put together and compacted by means of every supplying joint, is, according to the working of each part in its proportion, building itself up in love. 17 This therefore I say, and charge you in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God on account of the ignorance that is in them, on account of the hardness of their hearts; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves up to wantonness, to work all uncleanness in greediness. 20 But not so did ye learn Christ, 21 if indeed ye heard him, and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus; 22 that as to your former way of life ye should put off the old man, who perisheth according to the lusts of deceit, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that ye put on the new man, who was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 25 Wherefore having put away falsehood, speak truth every one with his neighbor; for we are members one of another. 26 “Be angry, and sin not;” let not the sun go down upon your wrath; 27 and do not give place to the Devil. 28 Let him that stealeth steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands at that which is good, that he may have to give to him that is in need. 29 Let no foul language proceed out of your mouth, but whatever is good for edification, as the need may be, that it may benefit the hearers; 30 and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye were sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; 32 and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
5 1 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved you, and gave himself for you an offering and a sacrifice to God, of a sweet odor. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints, 4 neither obscenity, nor foolish talking, nor indecent jesting, which are not becoming; but rather giving of thanks. 5 For of this ye are sure, since ye know that no whore-monger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with vain words; for because of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Be not therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were once darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, 9 —for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth,— 10 proving what is acceptable to the Lord; 11 and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them. 12 For the things done in secret by them it is a shame even to speak of. 13 But all things, when reproved, are made manifest by the light; for whatever maketh manifest is light. 14 Wherefore he saith, “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give thee light.” 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly; not as unwise men, but as wise; 16 buying up for yourselves opportunities, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 giving thanks always for all things to God, the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord; 23 for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church,—he, who is the Saviour of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so let wives be to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it, 26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the bath of the water in the word; 27 that he himself might present to himself the church, glorious, having no spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 In like manner husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his own wife loveth himself; 29 for no one ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ doth the church; 30 for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” 32 This mystery is a great one; but I am speaking of Christ and of the church. 33 However, do ye also severally love each one his own wife as himself; and let the wife see that she reverence her husband.
6 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. 2 “Honor thy father and mother;” which is the first commandment with a promise; 3 “that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst live long on the earth.” 4 And, ye fathers, stir not up the anger of your children, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5 Bond-servants, obey your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as serving Christ; 6 not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as bond-servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 doing service with good will, as to the Lord, and not to men; 8 knowing that whatever good each one shall have done, that shall he receive from the Lord, whether he be bondman or free. 9 And, ye masters, do the same things to them, forbearing threatening; knowing that both they and you have a Master in heaven, and that there is no respect of persons with him. 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil; 12 for our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of evil in the heavenly regions. 13 Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breast-plate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 taking up, in addition to all, the shield of faith, by which ye will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Evil One; 17 and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying with all prayer and entreaty at all times in the Spirit; and watching to this end with all perseverance and entreaty for all the saints, 19 and for me, that utterance may be given me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 in behalf of which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may proclaim it boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 But that ye also may know about me, how I am faring, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will inform you of everything; 22 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that ye may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an incorruptible love.