Ephesians 2
1 You yourselves were once dead because of your offences and sins.
你们因自己的罪和邪恶行为而死，
2 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)
按照这个世界的方式、在魔鬼的控制下生活，魔鬼的灵会控制那些不服从上帝之人。 (aiōn g165)
3 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 very nature exposed us to the Divine Wrath, like the rest of mankind.
我们所有人都曾经如此，我们的行为被我们罪恶的人性欲望和邪恶思维方式所决定。就像其他人一样，我们的人性就是愤怒的孩子。
4 Yet God, in his abundant compassion, and because of the great love with which he loved us,
但上帝有着慷慨的怜悯之心，因为对我们有着令人惊异的爱，
5 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.)
即使我们因罪而死，他也会让我们与基督一起活着。你因为相信上帝而获得拯救！
6 And, through our union with Christ Jesus, God raised us with him, and caused us to sit with him on high,
他与基督一起让我们复活，因为基督耶稣而让我们与他一同坐于天堂。
7 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)
这让他就可以在通过基督耶稣，在永恒的未来向我们展示他令人惊讶的深厚恩典和善意。 (aiōn g165)
8 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.
因信任上帝，你已蒙恩得救——这并非靠你自己，而是上帝的恩赐！
9 It is not due to obedience to Law, lest any one should boast.
这与人的努力无关，所以不要为自己感到骄傲。
10 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.
我们是上帝所为的造物，以基督耶稣为名创造我们是为了行善，上帝已经计划好我们应该这样做。
11 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 the hand of man!
从人的角度而言，你们就是“异族人”，对于“已受割礼”之人而言，你们就是 “未受割礼”之人（但这只是一种人类做出的行为而已）。你们需要记住，
12 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.
以往你不知耶稣，与基督没有任何关系，你作为异族人就不会被视为以色列的公民，对于上帝承诺的约定而言，你就是陌生人。你会没有希望，生活在没有上帝的世界上。
13 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.’
但现在，通过基督耶稣，你们这些曾远离之人，如今被带到基督血液的旁边。
14 He it is who is our Peace. He made the two divisions of mankind one, broke down the barrier that separated them,
基督就是我们的平安。通过他的身体，他将两者合而为一，打破了曾分隔我们、充满敌意的墙壁，
15 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 Man and thus make peace.
将我们从律法的要求和规定中解放出来。他这样做是为了用自己的身体，从两者之中创造一个新的人，从而实现和平，
16 And when, upon 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.
通过十字架让他们与上帝和好，就好像他们是一体，让我们对彼此不再有敌意。
17 He came with the Good News of peace for you who were ‘far off,’ and of peace for those who were ‘near’;
他来此的目的，是与那些曾经远离他的人分享和平的福音，
18 for it is through him that we, the Jews and the Gentiles, united in the one Spirit, are now able to approach the Father.
因为通过他，我们都可以借由同一个圣灵接近天父。
19 It follows, then, that you are no longer strangers and aliens, but are fellow-citizens with Christ’s People and members of God’s Household.
这意味着你不再是陌生人和异族人；你们都是上帝子民的同胞，属于上帝的大家庭，
20 You have been built up upon the foundation laid by the Apostles and Prophets, Christ Jesus himself being ‘the corner-stone.’
这个大家庭以基督耶稣为奠基石，以使徒和先知为地基。
21 United in him, every part of the building, closely joined together, will grow into a Temple, consecrated by its union with the Lord.
整座建筑因他而连为一体，逐渐成长为主的圣殿。
22 And, through union in him, you also are being built up together, to be a dwelling-place for God through the Spirit.
你们也是因他而被建造出来，成为上帝通过圣灵存在之地。
