From: Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus by God's will. To: His holy and faithful people in Ephesus who are in union with the Messiah Jesus.

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even as he made selection of us in him from the first, so that we might be holy and free from all evil before him in love:

From the first he destined us, in his good-will towards us, to be adopted as Sons through Jesus Christ,

In [fellowship with] Christ we have redemption [i.e., we have been bought back from Satan] through His blood, and have forgiveness of sins according to the abundance of God's unearned favor,

In whom we have a heritage, being marked out from the first in his purpose who does all things in agreement with his designs;

For this reason I also, from the time when I heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which prevails among you, and your love to all the saints,

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).

raised us with Him from the dead, and enthroned us with Him in the heavenly realms as being in Christ Jesus,

For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;

[it is] not from works, so that no one can boast.

for he hath made us a-new, and form'd us by Christ Jesus to do good works, for which God had before prepared us, that we might live in them.

For which reason, remember that you were formerly Gen tiles, by natural descent, and that you are called Uncircumcision by the Circumcision; so called, from a mark made in the flesh by hands;

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

But now [that you are] in [fellowship with] Christ, you [Gentiles], who were once far away [from God], have been brought near [to Him] through the blood of Christ.

For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and removed the wall of partition from between us;

having annulled the enmity in his flesh, the law of commandments in ordinances, that he might form the two in himself into one new man, making peace;

And Christ came and preached peace to you [Gentiles], who were far away [from God], and peace to those [Jews] who were near [to Him].

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household,

in union with whom the whole fabric, fitted and closely joined together, is growing so as to form a holy sanctuary in the Lord;

In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

[Note: Paul here digresses from his prayer, begun in 1:15-16, to explain the circumstances of his being a prisoner on behalf of these Gentiles]. [I assume] you have heard about my commission [to minister] to you, which was given to me by God's unearned favor.

which in the earlier ages, so different from the present, was not made known to mankind as fully as now, but through the Spirit it has been revealed to His Holy apostles and prophets --

I mean the truth that the Gentiles are joint heirs with us Jews, and that they form one body with us, and have the same interest as we have in the promise which has been made good in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

according to the purpose from everlasting, which he formed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

For Christ to dwell by faith in your hearts; in love being rendered firm, and the foundation laid,

be praise in the congregation by Jesus Christ, throughout all generations from time to time. Amen.

I then, the prisoner in the Lord, make this request from my heart, that you will see that your behaviour is a credit to the position which God's purpose has given you,

There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope resulting from the call you have received;

(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth?

He who descended is the very same as He who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things [that is, the whole universe]).

till we should all attain the unity of the faith and knowledge of God's Son, reaching maturity, reaching the full measure of development which belongs to the fulness of Christ ??14 instead of remaining immature, blown from our course and swayed by every passing wind of doctrine, by the adroitness of men who are dexterous in devising error;

So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should not walk from now on as other nations walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand].

But these are not the lessons which you have learned from Christ;

that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires,

and put on the new man (in accordance with God), who is created in righteousness and holiness from the truth.

He stealing let him steal no more: and rather let him be wearied from fatigue, working good with the hands, that he have to impart to him having need.

{No rotten word must proceed} from your mouth, but only something good for the building up of the need, in order that it may give grace to those who hear,

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

But immorality or any form of vice or greed must not be so much as mentioned among you; that would not be becoming in God's people.

Do not be turned from the right way by foolish words; for because of these things the punishment of God comes on those who do not put themselves under him.

(for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

Take no part in deeds of Darkness, from which no good can come; on the contrary, expose them.

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

And submit to one another from reverence for him.

For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

slaving with good-will from your heart, as for the Lord and not for men;

knowing that whatsoever good thing each one doeth, the same shall he receive again from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

And you masters, act towards your slaves on the same principles, and refrain from threats. For you know that in Heaven there is One who is your Master as well as theirs, and that merely earthly distinctions there are none with Him.

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.

Put on the complete armour of God, so as to be able to stand firm against all the stratagems of the Devil.

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

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

and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news].

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace be with all them which love our Lord Jesus Christ in pureness. Amen. {Sent from Rome unto the Ephesians by Tychicus.}