Ephesians 2

1 You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins,

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

2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works 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 We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, 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, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which 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 through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

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 raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in 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 in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward 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 have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; 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 one would boast.

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

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would 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 Therefore remember that once you, the 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 separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and 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 now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in 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 made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation,

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

15 having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, 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 them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it.

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 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.

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 have our access 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 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household 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 being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

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

21 in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a 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 for a 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.