< Προς Εφεσιους 2 >

1 Και εσάς όντας νεκρούς διά τας παραβάσεις και τας αμαρτίας εζωοποίησεν,
You yourselves were once dead because of your offences and sins.
2 εις τας οποίας περιεπατήσατέ ποτέ κατά το πολίτευμα του κόσμου τούτου, κατά τον άρχοντα της εξουσίας του αέρος, του πνεύματος το οποίον ενεργεί την σήμερον εις τους υιούς της απειθείας· (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 μεταξύ των οποίων και ημείς πάντες ανεστράφημέν ποτέ κατά τας επιθυμίας της σαρκός ημών, πράττοντες τα θελήματα της σαρκός και των διαλογισμών, και ήμεθα εκ φύσεως τέκνα οργής, ως και οι λοιποί·
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 ο Θεός όμως πλούσιος ων εις έλεος, διά την πολλήν αγάπην αυτού με την οποίαν ηγάπησεν ημάς,
Yet God, in his abundant compassion, and because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 και ενώ ήμεθα νεκροί διά τα αμαρτήματα, εζωοποίησεν ημάς μετά του Χριστού· κατά χάριν είσθε σεσωσμένοι·
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 και συνανέστησε και συνεκάθισεν εν τοις επουρανίοις διά Ιησού Χριστού,
And, through our union with Christ Jesus, God raised us with him, and caused us to sit with him on high,
7 διά να δείξη εις τους επερχομένους αιώνας τον υπερβάλλοντα πλούτον της χάριτος αυτού διά της προς ημάς αγαθότητος εν Χριστώ Ιησού. (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 Διότι κατά χάριν είσθε σεσωσμένοι διά της πίστεως· και τούτο δεν είναι από σας, Θεού το δώρον·
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 ουχί εξ έργων, διά να μη καυχηθή τις.
It is not due to obedience to Law, so that no one can boast.
10 Διότι αυτού ποίημα είμεθα, κτισθέντες εν Χριστώ Ιησού προς έργα καλά, τα οποία προητοίμασεν ο Θεός διά να περιπατήσωμεν εν αυτοίς.
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 Διά τούτο ενθυμείσθε ότι σεις οι ποτέ εθνικοί κατά σάρκα, οι λεγόμενοι ακροβυστία υπό της λεγομένης περιτομής της χειροποιήτου εν τη σαρκί,
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 ότι ήσθε εν τω καιρώ εκείνω χωρίς Χριστού, απηλλοτριωμένοι από της πολιτείας του Ισραήλ και ξένοι των διαθηκών της επαγγελίας, ελπίδα μη έχοντες και όντες εν τω κόσμω χωρίς Θεού.
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 Τώρα όμως διά του Ιησού Χριστού σεις οι ποτέ όντες μακράν εγείνετε πλησίον διά του αίματος του Χριστού.
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 Διότι αυτός είναι η ειρήνη ημών, όστις έκαμε τα δύο εν και έλυσε το μεσότοιχον του φραγμού,
He it is who is our peace. He made the two divisions of humanity one, broke down the barrier that separated them,
15 καταργήσας την έχθραν εν τη σαρκί αυτού, τον νόμον των εντολών των εν τοις διατάγμασι, διά να κτίση εις εαυτόν τους δύο εις ένα νέον άνθρωπον, φέρων ειρήνην,
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 και να συνδιαλλάξη αμφοτέρους εις εν σώμα προς τον Θεόν διά του σταυρού, θανατώσας δι' αυτού την έχθραν.
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 Και ελθών εκήρυξεν ευαγγέλιον ειρήνης εις εσάς τους μακράν και εις τους πλησίον,
He came with the good news of peace for you who were far off, and of peace for those who were near;
18 διότι δι' αυτού έχομεν αμφότεροι την είσοδον προς τον Πατέρα δι' ενός Πνεύματος.
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 Άρα λοιπόν δεν είσθε πλέον ξένοι και πάροικοι αλλά συμπολίται των αγίων και οικείοι του Θεού,
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 εποικοδομηθέντες επί το θεμέλιον των αποστόλων και προφητών, όντος ακρογωνιαίου λίθου αυτού του Ιησού Χριστού·
You have been built up on the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.
21 εν τω οποίω πάσα η οικοδομή συναρμολογουμένη αυξάνεται εις ναόν άγιον εν Κυρίω·
United in him, every part of the building, closely joined together, will grow into a temple, consecrated by its union with the Lord.
22 εν τω οποίω και σεις συνοικοδομείσθε εις κατοικητήριον του Θεού διά του Πνεύματος.
And, through union in him, you also are being built up together, to be a place where God lives through the Spirit.

< Προς Εφεσιους 2 >