Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God. To the saints which are at Ephesus, and to them which believe on Jesus Christ.

Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which hath blessed us with all manner of spiritual blessings in heavenly things by Christ,

so that we might praise the splendid favor which He has shown us in His beloved Son.

by which he hath freely accepted us through the beloved, By whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins,

which grace he shed on us abundantly in all wisdom, and prudence.

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

the same in himself to have it declared when the time were full come: that all things, both the things which are in heaven, and also the things which are in earth, should be gathered together, even in Christ. That is to say, in him

in whom we are made heirs, and were thereto predestinate according to the purpose of him which worketh all things after the purpose of his own will:

that we should be unto the praise of his glory, which before believed in Christ.

by whom you also have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: and having believed in him, ye were mark'd with the seal of the holy spirit, which was promised:

which is the earnest of our inheritance, to redeem the possession purchased, and that unto the laud of his glory.

Wherefore even I - after that I heard of the faith which ye have in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints -

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may grant you the Spirit to give wisdom and revelation which come through a growing knowledge of Him,

by having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, so that you may know what the hope is to which He calls you, how glorious rich God's portion in His people is,

and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward, which believe according to the working of that his mighty power,

which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and set him on his righthand in heavenly things,

Far 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:

God has put all things under His feet, and has appointed Him universal and supreme Head of the Church, which is His Body,

which is his body, and fullness of him, that filleth all in all things.

And you being dead in trespasses and sins,??2 in which you formerly walked according to the life of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit which now operates in the children of disobedience,

in the which, in time past, ye walked, according to the course of this world, and after the governor that ruleth in the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of unbelief,

among which we also had our conversation in time past, in the lusts of our flesh, and fulfilled the will of the flesh, and of the mind: and were naturally the children of wrath, even as well as others.

But God, which is rich in mercy through his great love wherewith he loved us,

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).

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, unto the which God ordained us before, that we should walk in them.

Wherefore, remember that ye, being in time past gentiles in the flesh, and were called "uncircumcision" to them which are called "circumcision" in the flesh - which circumcision is made by hands -

At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world.

But now in Christ Jesus, ye which a while ago were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, which hath made of both one, and hath broken down the wall in the midst, that was a stop between us,

Having in his flesh put an end to that which made the division between us, even the law with its rules and orders, so that he might make in himself, of the two, one new man, so making peace;

and reconciling both groups to God in one body through the cross, on which he eliminated the hostility.

and came, and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

Which was built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner,

by which all the building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

in which you also are built up together for a spiritual habitation of God.

For this cause, I Paul the servant of Jesus Christ am in bonds for your sakes, which are heathen -

If ye have heard of the ministration of the grace of God which is given me to you ward -

that by immediate revelation He made known to me the mystery, (as I wrote before in brief, by which,

in regard to which ye are able, reading it, to understand my knowledge in the secret of the Christ,

which mystery in times past was not opened unto the sons of men as it is now declared unto his holy apostles and prophets by the spirit:

Which is that the Gentiles have a part in the heritage, and in the same body, and in the same hope in Christ through the good news,

for which I was called to serve in accordance with the gift of God's unmerited favor which was bestowed on me by the exercise of His power--

To me, [though I am] the very least of all the saints (God’s people), this grace [which is undeserved] was graciously given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the incomprehensible riches of Christ [that spiritual wealth which no one can fully understand],

and to make all men see what the fellowship of the mystery is, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, which made all things through Jesus Christ,

according to that eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord,

by whom we are bold to draw nigh in that trust, which we have by faith on him.

Wherefore, I desire that ye faint not because of my tribulations which I suffer for your sakes: which is your praise.

For this reason [grasping the greatness of this plan by which Jews and Gentiles are joined together in Christ] I bow my knees [in reverence] before the Father [of our Lord Jesus Christ],

which is father over all that is called father in heaven and in earth, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory,

ye may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge,

and to know what is the love of Christ, which love passeth knowledge: that ye might be fulfilled with all manner of fullness which cometh of God.

To him that is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, by the power which operates in us,

I therefore which am in bonds for the Lord's sake, exhort you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

one God and father of all, which is above all, through all, and in you all.

but to every one of us a different charge is given, according to the distribution which Christ has made;

For which reason, the scripture says: When he ascended on high, he led captive a multitude of captives, and gave gifts to men.

But what is that which ascended, except that which descended into the lower parts of the earth?

till we, everyone - in the unity of faith, and knowledge of the son of God - grow up unto a perfect man, after the measure of age which is of the fullness of Christ:

in order that we may be no longer babes, tossed and carried about by every wind of that teaching which is in the sleight of men, in unprincipled cunning with a view to systematized error;

But let us follow the truth in love, and in all things grow in him which is the head, that is to say Christ,

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, then, and give witness in the Lord, that you are to go no longer in the way of the Gentiles whose minds are turned to that which has no profit,

blinded in their understanding, being strangers from the life which is in God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.

Which, being past repentance, have given themselves unto wantonness, to work all manner of uncleanness even with greediness.

For this was not the teaching of Christ which was given to you;

so then, as concerning the conversation in time past, lay from you that old man, which is corrupt through the deceivable lusts,

and put on that new man, which after the image of God is shapen in righteousness, and true holiness.

For which reason, putting away lying, speak, every one, truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Let no filthy communication proceed out of your mouths: but that which is good to edify withal, when need is, that it may have favour with the hearers.

and make not sorrowful the Holy Spirit of God, in which ye were sealed to a day of redemption.

neither filthiness, neither foolish talking, neither jestings, which are not comely: but rather giving of thanks.

For this ye know, that no whoremonger, either unclean person, or covetous person, which is the worshipper of images, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God.

(Because the fruit of the light is in all righteousness and in everything which is good and true),

Accept that which is pleasing to the Lord,

And have no company with the works of the dark, which give no fruit, but make their true quality clear;

For it is shame even to name those things which are done of them in secret:

but all things proved to be wrong are made manifest by the light; for every thing which makes manifest is light.

So, it says, "You who are asleep, wake up and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you [i.e., illuminate you]." [Note: The foregoing words may have been an early saying, used at someone's immersion, which included the ideas of "rising up" (See Col. 2:12) and "illumination" (See Heb. 6:4)].

Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit.

because a husband is the head of his wife even as Christ is head of the church, his body, which he saves.

so that He could dedicate her [to Himself], after cleansing her by means of the washing of water [i.e., immersion], accompanied by the word. [Note: "The word" here refers either to a person's profession of faith (See Rom. 10:9) or to the Gospel message (See Rom. 10:17), both of which are associated with immersion].

of which we are the several parts constituting his body.

Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

which is the first command with a promise, 'That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live a long time upon the land.'

For the future, find strength in your union with the Lord, and in the power which comes from his might.

Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

For our struggle is not [actually] against human beings, but against rulers and authorities and leaders of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. [Note: "Heavenly realms" here refers to the struggle against Satanic powers which permeates life around us].

And take up to cover you the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the Evil One.

Take likewise the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

which is the word of God, Praying alway by the Spirit with all prayer and supplication, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,

and for me, that utterance may be given me to open my mouth boldly, and to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador,

For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

But that ye also may know the things which concern me, and what I am doing, Tychicus will inform you of the whole, a beloved brother, and faithful in the Lord:

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