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I.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and believers in Christ Jesus: 2Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ; 4as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love; 5having predestined us unto the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved; 7in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the remission of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and understanding; 9making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself, 10in reference to the dispensation of the fullness of times, to gather for himself into one all things in the Christ, the things which are in the heavens, and the things on the earth; 11in him, in whom we obtained also the inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will, 12that we should be to the praise of his glory who before have hoped in the Christ; 13in whom ye also, after having heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, in whom [I say] having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise; 14which is an earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.
15For this cause I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love to all the saints, 16cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give to you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of him; 18the eyes of your heart being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19and what the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; 22and subjected all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
II.
You also, being dead in trespasses and sins;— 2in which ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience; 3among whom we also all walked in time past in the desires of our flesh, doing the will of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as others;— 4but God, being rich in mercy, on account of his great love wherewith he loved us, made us, 5even when we were dead in sins, alive with Christ, (by grace ye are saved,) 6and raised us with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus; 7that he might show, in the ages to come, the exceeding richness of his grace, in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8For by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not of works, lest any one should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them.
11Wherefore remember, that in time past ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hand,— 12that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. 13But now, in Christ Jesus, ye, who in time past were afar off, were made near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition; 15having abolished in his flesh the enmity, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might make the two one new man in himself, making peace; 16and might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. 17And he came and brought the good news of peace to you who were afar off, and to those who were near. 18Because through him we both have the access in one Spirit to the Father.
19So then ye are no longer strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner-stone; 21in whom all the building, fitly framed together, grows unto a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
III.
For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,— 2if indeed ye heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given me toward you, 3that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words; 4whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, 5which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers with us of the promise, in Christ Jesus, through the gospel; 7whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which was given to me according to the working of his power. 8To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, was this grace given, to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9and to make all see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which from ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10that now, to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11according to the eternal purpose which he made in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him.
13Wherefore I entreat that ye faint not at my afflictions for you, which is your glory. 14For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that he would grant to you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through his Spirit as to the inner man, 17that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; having been rooted and grounded in love, 18that ye may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, 19and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21to him be the glory in the church, in Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
IV.
I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you, therefore, to walk worthy of the calling with which ye were called, 2with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love; 3endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one immersion, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. 7But to each one of us the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Wherefore he says:
When he ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.
9Now this, he ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10The one who descended, he is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, that he may fill all things. 11And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers; 12for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; 13till we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, by cunning craftiness after the wily manner of error; 15but holding the truth, may in love grow up into him in all things, who is the head, Christ; 16from whom all the body, fitly framed together and compacted by means of every joint of the supply, according to the working in the measure of each single part, effects the increase of the body to the upbuilding of itself in love.
17This therefore I say, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in then, because of the hardness of their heart; 19who, as being past feeling, gave themselves up to wantonness, to work all uncleanness in greediness. 20But ye did not so learn Christ, 21if indeed ye heard him, and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus; 22that ye put off, as concerns your former deportment, the old man who is corrupted according to the lusts of deceit, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and put on the new man, who was created after God in the righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25Wherefore, having put away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor; because we are members one of another. 26Be angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath, 27neither give place to the Devil.
28Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands that which is good, that he may have to impart to him that has need. 29Let no corrupt discourse proceed out of your mouth, but whatever is good for needful edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; 32and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as also God in Christ forgave you.
V.
Become therefore followers of God, as beloved children 2and walk in love, as also Christ loved us, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweet smell.
3But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becomes saints, 4and filthiness, and foolish talking, and jesting, which are not becoming, but rather giving of thanks. 5For this ye know, being aware that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6Let no one deceive you with vain words; for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.
7Become not therefore partakers with them. 8For ye were once darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,— 9for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,— 10proving what is acceptable to the Lord; 11and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather also reprove them. 12For it is a shame even to speak of the things done by them in secret. 13But all things, when reproved, are by the light made manifest; for whatever makes manifest is light. 14Wherefore he says: Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give thee light.
15See to it then, how ye walk with exactness, not as unwise, but as wise, 16redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore be not foolish, but understanding what is the will of the Lord.
18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; 19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20giving thanks always for all things, to God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ; 22wives to their own husbands, as to the Lord. 23Because a husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church; himself the Savior of the body. 24But as the church is subjected to Christ, so also are the wives to their own husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, as also Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for it; 26that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the bathing of water in the word, 27that he might himself present to himself the church, glorious, having no spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it may be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, as also Christ the church; 30because we are members of his body, [being] of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.
32This mystery is great; but I am speaking of Christ and of the church. 33Nevertheless, do ye also, severally, each so love his wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she reverence her husband.
VI.
Children, obey your parents, in the Lord; for this is right. 2Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, 3that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
5Servants, obey your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ; 6not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men; 8knowing that whatever good thing each may have done, that shall he receive from the Lord, whether bond or free.
9And masters, do the same things to them, forbearing threatening; knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him.
10Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. 12For to us, the contest is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having fully done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having girded your loins about with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness; 15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16in addition to all, having taken on the shield of faith, in which ye will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17And receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18praying at every fitting season in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints; 19and for me, that utterance may be given to me, in the opening of my mouth with boldness, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in bonds; that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
21But that ye also may know my affairs, how I do, Tychicus, the beloved brother and a faithful minister in the Lord, will make all known to you; 22whom I sent to you for this very thing, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might encourage your hearts.
23Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.
