以弗所書 2
1 你們從前因著你們的過犯和罪惡是死的；
You yourselves were once dead because of your offences and sins.
For at one time you lived in sin, following the ways of the world, in subjection to the Ruler of the powers of the air – the Spirit who is still at work among the disobedient. (aiōn g165)
3 就連我們從前也都在這樣環境中生活過，放縱肉身的私慾，照肉身和心意所喜好的行事，且生來就是易怒之子，和別人一樣。
And it was among them that we all once lived our lives, indulging the cravings of our earthly nature, and carrying out the desires prompted by that earthly nature and by our own thoughts. Our nature exposed us to the divine wrath, like the rest of humanity.
4 然而富於慈悲的天主，因著祂愛我們的大愛，
Yet God, in his abundant compassion, and because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 竟在我們因過犯死了的時候，使我們同基督一起生活──可見你們得救，是由於恩寵──
even though we were dead because of our offences, gave life to us in giving life to the Christ. (By God’s loving kindness you have been saved.)
6 且使我們同祂一起復活，在基督耶穌內使我們同祂一起坐在天上，
And, through our union with Christ Jesus, God raised us with him, and caused us to sit with him on high,
in order that, by his goodness to us in Christ Jesus, he might display in the ages to come the boundless wealth of his loving kindness. (aiōn g165)
8 因為你們得救是由於恩寵，藉著信德，所以信德並不是出於你們自己，而是天主的恩惠；
For it is by God’s loving kindness that you have been saved, through your faith. It is not due to yourselves; the gift is God’s.
9 不是出於功行，免得有人自誇。
It is not due to obedience to Law, so that no one can boast.
10 原來我們是祂的化工，是在基督耶穌內受造的，為行天主所預備的各種善工，叫我們在這些善工中度日。
For we are God’s handiwork, created, by our union with Christ Jesus, for the good actions in doing which God had pre-arranged that we should spend our lives.
11 所以你們應該記得，你們從前生來本是外邦人，被那些受割損的人──割損本是人手在肉身上所行的──稱為未受割損的人；
Remember, therefore, that you were once Gentiles yourselves, as your bodies showed; you were called “the Uncircumcised” by those who were called “the Circumcised” – circumcised only by human hands!
12 記得你們那時沒有默西亞，與以色列社團隔絕，對恩許的盟約是局外人，在這世界上沒有希望，沒有天主。
Remember that you were at that time far from Christ; you were shut out from the citizenship of Israel; you were strangers to the covenants founded on God’s promise; you were in the world without hope and without God.
13 但是現今在基督耶穌內，你們從前遠離天主的人，藉著基督的血，成為親近的了。
But now, through your union with Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have, by the shedding of the blood of the Christ, been brought near.
14 因為基督是我們的和平，祂使雙方合而為一；祂以自己的肉身，拆毀了中間阻隔的牆壁，就是隻方的仇恨，
He it is who is our peace. He made the two divisions of humanity one, broke down the barrier that separated them,
15 並廢除了由規條命令所組成的法律，為把雙方在自己身上造成一個新人，而成就和平。
and in his human nature put an end to the cause of enmity between them – the Law with its injunctions and ordinances – in order to create, through union with himself, from Jew and Gentile, one new humanity and so make peace.
16 祂以十字架誅滅了仇恨，也以十字架使雙方合成一體，與天主和好。
And when, on the cross, he had destroyed their mutual enmity, he sought by means of his cross to reconcile them both to God, united in one body.
17 所以祂來，向你們遠離的人傳布了和平的福音，也向那親近的人傳布了和平，
He came with the good news of peace for you who were far off, and of peace for those who were near;
18 因為藉著祂，我們雙方在一個聖神內，才得以進到父面前。
for it is through him that we, the Jews and the Gentiles, united in the one Spirit, are now able to approach the Father.
19 所以你們已不再是外方人或旅客，而是聖徒的同胞，是天主的家人；
It follows, then, that you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but are fellow citizens with Christ’s people and members of God’s household.
20 已被建築在宗徒和先知的基礎上，而基督耶穌自己卻是這建築物的角石，
You have been built up on the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.
21 靠著祂，整個建築物結構緊湊，逐漸擴大，在主內成為一座聖殿；
United in him, every part of the building, closely joined together, will grow into a temple, consecrated by its union with the Lord.
22 並且靠著祂，你們也一同被建築，因著聖神，成為天主的住所。
And, through union in him, you also are being built up together, to be a place where God lives through the Spirit.
