Ephesians 2

1 And you, when you were dead in your offences, and sins,

You yourselves were once dead because of your offenses and sins.

2 Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of this air, of the spirit that now worketh on the children of unbelief: (aiōn g165)

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 In which also we all conversed in time past, in the desires of our flesh, fulfilling the will of the flesh and of our thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:

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 But God, (who is rich in mercy, ) for his exceeding charity wherewith he loved us,

Yet God, in his abundant compassion, and because of the great love with which he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, (by whose grace you are saved, )

even though we were dead because of our offenses, gave life to us in giving life to the Christ. (By God’s loving kindness you have been saved.)

6 And hath raised us up together, and hath made us sit together in the heavenly places, through Christ Jesus.

And, through our union with Christ Jesus, God raised us with him, and caused us to sit with him on high,

7 That he might shew in the ages to come the abundant riches of his grace, in his bounty towards us in Christ Jesus. (aiōn g165)

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 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God;

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 Not of works, that no man may glory.

It is not due to obedience to Law, so that no one can boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.

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 For which cause be mindful that you, being heretofore Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in the flesh, made by hands;

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 That you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the conversation of Israel, and strangers to the testament, having no hope of the promise, and without God in this world.

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 But now in Christ Jesus, you, who some time were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

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 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and breaking down the middle wall of partition, the enmities in his flesh:

He it is who is our peace. He made the two divisions of humanity one, broke down the barrier that separated them,

15 Making void the law of commandments contained in decrees; that he might make the two in himself into one new man, making peace;

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 And might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, killing the enmities in himself.

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 And coming, he preached peace to you that were afar off, and peace to them that were nigh.

He came with the good news of peace for you who were far off, and of peace for those who were near;

18 For by him we have access both in one Spirit to the Father.

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 Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners; but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and the domestics of God,

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 Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone:

You have been built up on the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

21 In whom all the building, being framed together, groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord.

United in him, every part of the building, closely joined together, will grow into a temple, consecrated by its union with the Lord.

22 In whom you also are built together into an habitation of God in the Spirit.

And, through union in him, you also are being built up together, to be a place where God lives through the Spirit.