Ephesians 2

1 And you hath he quickened, that were dead in trespasses and sinnes,

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

2 Wherein, in times past ye walked, according to the course of this world, and after the prince that ruleth in the aire, euen the spirite, that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience, (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 Among whom we also had our conuersation in time past, in the lustes of our flesh, in fulfilling the will of the flesh, and of the minde, and were by nature the children of wrath, as well as others.

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 which is rich in mercie, through his great loue wherewith he loued vs,

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

5 Euen when we were dead by sinnes, hath quickened vs together in Christ, by whose grace ye are saued,

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 And hath raysed vs vp together, and made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus,

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 shewe in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace, through his kindnesse toward vs in Christ Iesus. (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 are ye saued through faith, and that not of your selues: 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 workes, least any man should boast himselfe.

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

10 For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes, which God hath ordeined, that we should walke 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 Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, and called vncircumcision of them, which are called circumcision in the flesh, made with 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 ye were, I say, at that time without Christ, and were alients from the common wealth of Israel, and were strangers from the couenants of promise, and had no hope, and were without God in the 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 nowe in Christ Iesus, ye which once were farre off, are made neere 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, which hath made of both one, and hath broken the stoppe of the partition wall,

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

15 In abrogating through his flesh the hatred, that is, the Lawe of commandements which standeth in ordinances, for to make of twaine one newe man in himselfe, so 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 that he might reconcile both vnto God in one body by his crosse, and slay hatred thereby,

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 came, and preached peace to you which were afarre off, and to them that were neere.

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

18 For through him we both haue an entrance vnto the Father by one Spirit.

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 Nowe therefore ye are no more strangers and forreiners: but citizens with the Saintes, and of the houshold 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 And are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe 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 coupled together, groweth vnto 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 ye also are built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit.

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