Ephesians 2
1 Also you — being dead in the trespasses and the sins,
At one time you were dead in your sins and evil actions,
2 in which once ye did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, (aiōn g165)
living your lives according to the ways of the world, under the control of the devil, whose spirit is at work in those who disobey God. (aiōn g165)
3 among whom also we all did walk once in the desires of our flesh, doing the wishes of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath — as also the others,
All of us were once like that, our behavior determined by the desires of our sinful human nature and our evil way of thinking. Like everyone else, in our nature we were children of anger.
4 and God, being rich in kindness, because of His great love with which He loved us,
But God in his generous mercy, because of the amazing love he had for us
5 even being dead in the trespasses, did make us to live together with the Christ, (by grace ye are having been saved, )
even while we were dead in our sins, has made us alive together with Christ. Trusting in him has saved you!
6 and did raise [us] up together, and did seat [us] together in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus,
He raised us up with Christ, and in Christ Jesus seated us with him in heaven,
7 that He might show, in the ages that are coming, the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, (aiōn g165)
so that in all eternity to come he could demonstrate the amazing extent of his grace in showing us kindness through Christ Jesus. (aiōn g165)
8 for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you — of God the gift,
For you've been saved by grace through trusting in him—it's not through yourselves, it's the gift of God!
9 not of works, that no one may boast;
This has nothing to do with human effort, so don't be proud of yourselves.
10 for of Him we are workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God did before prepare, that in them we may walk.
We're the product of what God does, created in Christ Jesus to do good, which God already planned that we should do.
11 Wherefore, remember, that ye [were] once the nations in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands,
So you who are “foreigners” humanly-speaking, called “uncircumcised” by those who are “circumcised” (which is only a procedure carried out by human beings), you need to remember
12 that ye were at that time apart from Christ, having been alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God, in the world;
that once you had no relationship to Christ. You were barred as foreigners from being citizens of Israel, strangers to the agreement God had promised. You had no hope and you lived in the world without God.
13 and now, in Christ Jesus, ye being once afar off became nigh in the blood of the Christ,
But now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once a long way off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down,
Christ is our peace. Through his body he made the two into one, and broke down the separating wall of hostility that divided us,
15 the enmity in his flesh, the law of the commands in ordinances having done away, that the two he might create in himself into one new man, making peace,
freeing us from the law with its requirements and regulations. He did this so he could create in himself one new person out of the two and so make peace,
16 and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in it,
and completely reconcile both of them to God through the cross as if they were just one body, having destroyed our hostility towards each other.
17 and having come, he did proclaim good news — peace to you — the far-off and the nigh,
He came and shared the good news of peace with those of you who were far away, and those who were nearby,
18 because through him we have the access — we both — in one Spirit unto the Father.
because through him we both gain access to the Father through the same Spirit.
19 Then, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of God,
That means you're no longer strangers and foreigners; you are fellow citizens of God's people and belong to God's family
20 being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being chief corner -[stone],
that's being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.
21 in whom all the building fitly framed together doth increase to an holy sanctuary in the Lord,
In him the whole building is joined together, growing to form a holy temple for the Lord.
22 in whom also ye are builded together, for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
You too are being built together in him as a place for God to live by the Spirit.
