以弗所書 2
1 你們從前因著你們的過犯和罪惡是死的；
To you Gentiles also, who were dead through your offences and sins,
which were once habitual to you while you walked in the ways of this world and obeyed the Prince of the powers of the air, the spirits that are now at work in the hearts of the sons of disobedience--to you God has given Life. (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。
Among them all of us also formerly passed our lives, governed by the inclinations of our lower natures, indulging the cravings of those natures and of our own thoughts, and were in our original state deserving of anger like all others.
4 然而富於慈悲的天主，因著祂愛我們的大愛，
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the intense love which He bestowed on 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──
caused us, dead though we were through our offences, to live with Christ--it is by grace that 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，
raised us with Him from the dead, and enthroned us with Him in the heavenly realms as being 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. (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 grace that you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is God's gift, and is not on the ground of merit--
9 不是出於功行，免得有人自誇。
so that it may be impossible for any one to 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 own handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He has pre-destined us to practise.
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；
Therefore, do not forget that formerly you were Gentiles as to your bodily condition. You were called the Uncircumcision by those who style themselves the Circumcised--their circumcision being one which the knife has effected.
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。
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.
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 in Christ Jesus you who once were so far away have been brought near through the death of Christ.
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，
For He is our peace--He who has made Jews and Gentiles one, and in His own human nature has broken down the hostile dividing wall,
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。
by setting aside the Law with its commandments, expressed, as they were, in definite decrees. His design was to unite the two sections of humanity in Himself so as to form one new man,
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。
thus effecting peace, and to reconcile Jews and Gentiles in one body to God, by means of His cross--slaying by it their mutual enmity.
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，
So He came and proclaimed good news of peace to you who were so far away, and peace to 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。
because it is through Him that Jews and Gentiles alike have access through one Spirit to 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；
You are therefore no longer mere foreigners or persons excluded from civil rights. On the contrary you share citizenship with God's people and are members of His family.
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 are a building which has been reared on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself,
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；
in union with whom the whole fabric, fitted and closely joined together, is growing so as to form a holy sanctuary in 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。
in whom you also are being built up together to become a fixed abode for God through the Spirit.
