Προς Εφεσιους 3
1 Τούτου χάριν ἐγὼ Παῦλος ὁ δέσμιος τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν—
This is why, I, Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ for the sake of you foreigners,
2 εἴ γε ἠκούσατε τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς,
(well, I'm assuming you've heard that God gave me the specific responsibility of sharing God's grace with you),
3 ὅτι κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν ἐγνωρίσθη μοι τὸ μυστήριον, καθὼς προέγραψα ἐν ὀλίγῳ,
how, by what God showed me, made clear the mystery that was previously hidden. I wrote to you briefly before about this,
4 πρὸς ὃ δύνασθε ἀναγινώσκοντες νοῆσαι τὴν σύνεσίν μου ἐν τῷ μυστηρίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
and when you read this you'll be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.
5 ὃ ἑτέραις γενεαῖς οὐκ ἐγνωρίσθη τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὡς νῦν ἀπεκαλύφθη τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ προφήταις ἐν Πνεύματι,
In past generations this wasn't made clear to anyone, but now it's been revealed to God's holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit
6 εἶναι τὰ ἔθνη συνκληρονόμα καὶ σύνσωμα καὶ συνμέτοχα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου,
that foreigners are joint heirs, part of the same body, and in Christ Jesus share together in the promise through the good news.
7 οὗ ἐγενήθην διάκονος κατὰ τὴν δωρεὰν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ.
I became a minister of this good news through the gift of God's grace that I was given by his power that was at work in me.
8 ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εὐαγγελίσασθαι τὸ ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
This grace was given to me, the least important of all Christians, in order to share with the foreigners the incredible value of Christ,
9 καὶ φωτίσαι τίς ἡ οἰκονομία τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ ἀποκεκρυμμένου ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων ἐν τῷ Θεῷ τῷ τὰ πάντα κτίσαντι, (aiōn g165)
and to help everyone see the purpose of the mystery which from the very beginning was hidden in God who made everything. (aiōn g165)
10 ἵνα γνωρισθῇ νῦν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις διὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ,
God's plan was that the various aspects of his wisdom would be revealed through the church to the rulers and authorities in heaven.
This was in accordance with God's eternal purpose that he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord. (aiōn g165)
12 ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν παρρησίαν καὶ προσαγωγὴν ἐν πεποιθήσει διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ.
Because of him and our trust in him we can come to God in total freedom and confidence.
13 διὸ αἰτοῦμαι μὴ ἐνκακεῖν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσίν μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, ἥτις ἐστὶν δόξα ὑμῶν.
So I'm asking that you don't get discouraged that I'm suffering—it's for you and you should value that!
14 Τούτου χάριν κάμπτω τὰ γόνατά μου πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα,
This is why I kneel before the Father
15 ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its nature and character,
16 ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον,
asking him that out of his wealth of glory he may strengthen you in your innermost being with power through his Spirit.
17 κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι,
May Christ live in you as you trust in him, so that as you are planted deep in love,
18 ἵνα ἐξισχύσητε καταλαβέσθαι σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις τί τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ ὕψος καὶ βάθος,
you may have the power to comprehend with all God's people the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love.
19 γνῶναί τε τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν τῆς γνώσεως ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα πληρωθῆτε εἰς πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ.
May you know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you're made full and complete by the fullness of God.
20 Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑπὲρ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἡμῖν,
Now may he who—through his power working in us—can do infinitely more than we ever ask for or even think about,
