Ephesians 3
1 For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you the nations,
For this reason I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles--
2 if, indeed, you heard of the dispensation of the grace of God that was given to me in regard to you,
if, that is, you have heard of the work which God has graciously entrusted to me for your benefit,
3 that by revelation He made known to me the secret, according as I wrote before in few [words]—
and that by a revelation the truth hitherto kept secret was made known to me as I have already briefly explained it to you.
4 in regard to which you are able, reading [it], to understand my knowledge in the secret of the Christ,
By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ
5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit—
which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit--
6 that the nations are fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in the Christ, through the good news,
I mean the truth that the Gentiles are joint heirs with us Jews, and that they form one body with us, and have the same interest as we have in the promise which has been made good in Christ Jesus through the Good News,
7 of which I became a servant, according to the gift of the grace of God that was given to me, according to the working of His power;
in which I have been appointed to serve, in virtue of the work which God, in the exercise of His power within me, has graciously entrusted to me.
8 to me—the less than the least of all the holy ones—was given this grace, among the nations to proclaim good news—the untraceable riches of the Christ,
To me who am less than the least of all God's people has this work been graciously entrusted--to proclaim to the Gentiles the Good News of the exhaustless wealth of Christ,
9 and to cause all to see what [is] the fellowship of the secret that has been hid from the ages in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, (aiōn g165)
and to show all men in a clear light what my stewardship is. It is the stewardship of the truth which from all the Ages lay concealed in the mind of God, the Creator of all things-- (aiōn g165)
10 that there might be made known now to the principalities and the authorities in the heavenly [places], through the Assembly, the manifold wisdom of God,
concealed in order that the Church might now be used to display to the powers and authorities in the heavenly realms the innumerable aspects of God's wisdom.
Such was the eternal purpose which He had formed in Christ Jesus our Lord, (aiōn g165)
12 in whom we have the freedom and the access in confidence through the faith of Him,
in whom we have this bold and confident access through our faith in Him.
13 for this reason, I ask [you] not to faint in my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Therefore I entreat you not to lose heart in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf, for they bring you honour.
14 For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
For this reason, on bended knee I beseech the Father,
15 of whom the whole family in the heavens and on earth is named,
from whom the whole family in Heaven and on earth derives its name,
16 that He may give to you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened through His Spirit with might, in regard to the inner man,
to grant you--in accordance with the wealth of His glorious perfections--to be strengthened by His Spirit with power penetrating to your inmost being.
17 that the Christ may dwell through the faith in your hearts, having been rooted and founded in love,
I pray that Christ may make His home in your hearts through your faith; so that having your roots deep and your foundations strong, in love, you may become mighty to grasp the idea,
18 that you may be in strength to comprehend, with all the holy ones, what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,
as it is grasped by all God's people, of the breadth and length, the height and depth--
19 to know also the love of the Christ that is exceeding the knowledge, that you may be filled—to all the fullness of God;
yes, to attain to a knowledge of the knowledge-surpassing love of Christ, so that you may be made complete in accordance with God's own standard of completeness.
20 and to Him who is able to do exceedingly [and] abundantly above all things that we ask or think, according to the power that is working in us,
Now to Him who, in exercise of His power that is at work within us, is able to do infinitely beyond all our highest prayers or thoughts--
