Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

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

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

to the praise of His glorious grace and favor, which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved [His Son, Jesus Christ].

By whom we have redemption through his blood, that is to say, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace,

All this accords with the loving-kindness which God lavished upon us, accompanied by countless gifts of wisdom and discernment,

by making known to us the mystery of his will according to his good purpose which he had before established in himself,

[He did this] to fulfill His plan at the proper time, by bringing together everything [in the universe] under Christ's headship --- things both in heaven and on earth.

in whom we were also chosen by lot, having been predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things within us according to the counsel of his own will;

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

And you, too, by your union with him, after you had heard the Message of the Truth, the Good News of your Salvation--you believed in him and were sealed as his by receiving the holy Spirit, which he had promised.

that Spirit being a pledge and foretaste of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption--the inheritance which He has purchased to be specially His for the extolling of His glory.

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation by the knowledge of him;

And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people),

and what God's tremendous power [working] in us believers is. [This power is] the same as that utilized by God's mighty strength,

He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens—

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come.

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

which is His [spiritual] body. The church is completely filled by Christ [or, "Christ is completely filled by God"], who completely fills everything in every way.

And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins,

in which you formerly liv'd, influenc'd by the customs of this world, and by the prince of the aerial powers, the spirits that now actuate the incredulous:

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But, God, being rich in mercy, by reason of the great love wherewith he loved us,

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus,

in order that, by His goodness to us in Christ Jesus, He might display in the Ages to come the transcendent riches of His grace.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

so that it may be impossible for any one to boast.

For by his act we were given existence in Christ Jesus to do those good works which God before made ready for us so that we might do them.

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh 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 who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who has made the two into one, and by whom the middle wall of division has been broken down,

by abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the hostility caused by the Law with its commandments contained in ordinances [which He satisfied]; so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thereby establishing peace.

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

[You are] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets [See I Cor. 12:28], with Christ Jesus Himself being the principal stone by which the entire building is aligned.

In whom all the building, rightly joined together, comes to be a holy house of God 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.

if so be that ye have heard of the dispensation of that grace of God which was given me to you-ward;

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

by which, in reading it, ye can understand my intelligence in the mystery of the Christ,)

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

to me, who am by far the least of all the saints, has this grace been given, that I might preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of the Christ,

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:

To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

according to the arrangement of the ages, which he established by Christ Jesus our Lord,

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Therefore I ask [you] not to be discouraged at my afflictions on behalf of you, which are your glory.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

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, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation by which ye are called,

Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful].

There is one body and one Spirit, even as you have been marked out by God in the one hope of his purpose for you;

Let there be but one Lord, one faith, one baptism:

But [God's] unearned favor was given to each one of us, according to the gift allotted [to us] by Christ.

(But what does "He ascended" mean if not that He also [first] descended to the lower parts of the earth [i.e., to the earth below]? [Note: Of the three principal interpretations given to this verse: a) Christ descended to earth, b) Christ descended to the grave, c) Christ descended to Mary's womb. The first is to be preferred. See John 3:13; 6:38, 62].

The one who went down is the same one who went up above all the heavens so that all things would be fulfilled.

And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah,

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.

So, I tell you this, and insist [on it] by [the authority of] the Lord: Do not continue to live with worthless thoughts as [unconverted] Gentiles do.

being darkened in understanding, estranged from the life of God by reason of the ignorance which is in them, by reason of the hardness of their hearts,

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires;

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And you should put on the new person who has been [re-] created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Wherefore, stripping off what is false, be speaking truth each one with his neighbour, because we are members one of another;

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Neither be giving place unto the adversary;

The thief [who has become a believer] must no longer steal, but instead he must work hard [making an honest living], producing that which is good with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with those in need.

Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that 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:

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

And be living in love, even as Christ had love for you, and gave himself up for us, an offering to God for a perfume of a sweet smell.

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; but instead speak of your thankfulness [to God].

For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person—for that one is [in effect] an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [for such a person places a higher value on something other than God].

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.

Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

For you at one time were dark, but now are light in the Lord: let your behaviour be that of children of light

For the outcome of life in the Light may be seen in every form of goodness, righteousness, and sincerity--

trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him—your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation].

Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character];

for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of.

But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

For this reason he says, Be awake, you who are sleeping, and come up from among the dead, and Christ will be your light.