Ndị Efesọs 1
1 Akwụkwọ ozi a sitere nʼaka mụ onwe m bụ Pọl, onye Chineke họpụtara ịbụ onyeozi Jisọs Kraịst. Ọ bụ unu ndị nsọ bi nʼEfesọs, unu bụ ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi nʼime Kraịst Jisọs, ka m na-edere ya:
I, Paul, am an apostle whom God appointed (to represent/to proclaim the message about) Christ Jesus because that is what God wanted. [I am writing this letter] to you who are the people of God in Ephesus [city. You are people who] (faithfully/continue to) trust in Christ Jesus and who have a close relationship with him.
2 Ka amara na udo nke sitere na Chineke Nna anyị, na Onyenwe anyị Jisọs Kraịst dịrị unu.
[I pray that] God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord will continue to act kindly toward you and cause you to have [inner] peace.
3 Ka otuto dịrị Chineke, na Nna Onyenwe anyị Jisọs Kraịst, bụ onye gọziri anyị site nʼinye anyị ngọzị niile nke ime mmụọ nke si nʼebe niile nke eluigwe nʼime Kraịst.
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of our relationship with Christ, he has blessed us spiritually in every way by giving us blessings that come from heaven.
4 Dịka o si họpụta anyị nʼime Kraịst tupu a tọọ ntọala ụwa, ka anyị bụrụ ndị dị nsọ na ndị na-enweghị ịta ụta nʼihu ya nʼịhụnanya.
Before God created the world, he chose us to be his people because of our (relationship with/union with) Christ, in order that [God could consider] us to be completely holy [DOU]. Because [God] loves [us],
5 O kpebiri ime anyị ụmụ ya site nʼihi Kraịst Jisọs. Ma o mekwara ihe ndị a niile nʼihi na ọ tọrọ ya ụtọ nʼobi, bụrụkwa ihe o zubere ime.
he decided long ago that he would adopt us to be [as though we were] his own children because of what Jesus Christ [has done]. He decided to do that because it pleased him to do that.
6 Ka e si otu a too ịdị ebube nke amara ya, nke o ji obi ya niile nye anyị nʼime Onye ahụ ọ hụrụ nʼanya.
He did it in order that we would praise him for acting very kindly toward us in a wonderful way that we did not deserve. He did it because of our relationship with his beloved Son {[one, who is also God, whom he] loves}.
7 Nʼime ya, anyị nwere mgbapụta site nʼọbara ya, bụ mgbaghara nke njehie niile anyị; dị ka ịba ụba nke amara ya si dị,
When the blood of Christ [flowed when he died] [MTY], [it was as though] he paid a price to free/save us [from the guilt of our sins]. [That] ([provided a way/made it possible]) [for] God to act very kindly toward us to forgive us for having sinned.
8 nke o mere ka ọ babigara anyị ụba oke site nʼamamihe na nghọta niile.
He acted very kindly toward us and enabled us to become wise about many [HYP] things and to understand his truth.
9 O meela ka anyị mata ihe omimi nzube ya, dị ka o si tọọ ya ụtọ, bụ ihe omimi o zubere ime nʼime Kraịst.
He has enabled us to know the things that he had planned secretly (OR, that he had not revealed to anyone yet). He did that because he wanted to do that, and because he planned to do that by means of the things Christ would do.
10 Nke ọ ga-eme ka o mezuo mgbe oge ya niile zuru, nke bụ ịchịkọta ihe niile nʼime ya, bụ ihe ndị dị nʼeluigwe na nʼụwa nʼokpuru Kraịst.
God planned that at the time that [he appointed], he would unite all things/beings in heaven and all things/beings on earth (OR, all beings in heaven and all things on earth), and cause Christ to be the one who will rule them [MET].
11 Nʼime Kraịst ka e mere anyị ndị nketa, ndị e bururị ụzọ họpụta na mbụ, dị ka atụmatụ onye ahụ na-arụpụta ihe niile nʼizuoke nke nzube na ebumnuche ya.
Because of our close relationship with Christ, God has also chosen us [(inc)] (OR, us [(exc)] Jews) to receive what he has promised [to give] us. He decided long ago to do that. It was exactly what he planned. He accomplishes everything exactly as he plans and desires,
12 Nke mere na anyị, ndị buuru ụzọ nwee olileanya na Kraịst, ga-ebi ndụ nʼotuto nke ebube ya.
in order that we(exc) Jews, who confidently expected the Messiah to do great things for us before the non-Jews expected such things (OR, we [(inc)] who were already confidently expecting Christ [to do great things for us]) will praise him for his greatness.
13 Unu bụkwa ndị a gụnyere nʼime Kraịst mgbe unu nụrụ ozi nke eziokwu ahụ bụ oziọma nke nzọpụta. Mgbe unu kwenyere, a kara unu akara nʼime ya bụ akara nke nkwa ahụ bụ Mmụọ Nsọ.
You [Ephesians] also heard the true message, the good message about how God saves you. [People] put their seal on something to show that [it belongs to them]. Similarly, when you believed [in Christ], God [showed that you also belong to him by sending you] the Holy Spirit as he promised to do [MET].
14 Nke a bụ ihe nketa anyị tutu ruo mgbe a rụzuru ọrụ mgbapụta nke ndị ahụ niile bụ ihe nweta Chineke. Ka e si otu a too ebube ya.
The Holy Spirit is [like] [MET] a (deposit/down payment). That is, he (guarantees/assures us) that [we will receive] all that God has promised to give us, at the time when God will give to those who belong to him [MET] everything that [Christ] freed us to receive. [God also assures you that you belong to him], in order that you would praise him for his greatness.
15 Nʼihi nke a, ebe m nụrụ akụkọ banyere okwukwe unu nʼime Onyenwe anyị Jisọs, nụkwa maka ịhụnanya unu nwere nʼebe ndị nsọ niile nọ,
Because of [what God has done for you], and because [people] told me that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus and that you love all those who belong to God,
16 esepụghị m aka ikele ekele nʼihi unu, mgbe niile m na-echeta unu nʼekpere m niile.
I thank God for you constantly [LIT, HYP]. I (mention/pray for) you constantly, whenever I pray.
17 Ana m arịọ Chineke nke Onyenwe anyị Jisọs Kraịst bụ Nna Onyenwe ebube niile, ka o nye unu Mmụọ amamihe na ezi nghọta ka unu nwee ike matazie nke ọma onye ọ bụ,
[I pray] that God, who is the glorious/wonderful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, may cause his Spirit to make you wise, and that his Spirit will reveal [God to you] so that you may fully know him.
18 ka o meghee anya nke ime mmụọ unu ka unu matakwa ụdị olileanya unu nwere nʼihi ọkpụkpọ ọ kpọrọ unu, na akụ, na ihe nketa dị ebube o nwere nʼime ndị nsọ.
And I pray that God would enable you to understand [MTY] his truth, in order that in your (inner beings/hearts) you may know the things that we believers should confidently expect to receive because he chose us [to be his people]. And I pray that you will know how God will bless his people in a very wonderful way [when we finally receive] all that he has promised to give us.
19 Na ịdị ukwuu nke ike ya nke na-enweghị atụ dịrị anyị, bụ ndị kwere ekwe, dịka ịrụsị ọrụ ike nke ike ya si dị.
And [I pray that] you will know how very powerfully [God helps] us who continue to trust [in Christ]. He works powerfully for us
20 Nke ọ rụrụ nʼime Kraịst mgbe o si nʼọnwụ kpọlite ya mee ya ka ọ nọdụ nʼaka nri ya nʼebe niile nke eluigwe.
just like he acted powerfully for Christ when he caused Christ to become alive again after he died, and put him in the place of highest/greatest honor [MTY] in heaven.
21 Ọnọdụ ya dị elu karịa ọchịchị niile, na ikike ọchịchị niile, na ike niile na ịchị isi niile, na aha ọkwa ọchịchị nke e nwere ike inye mmadụ, ọ bụghị naanị nʼọgbọ a, kama ma nʼọgbọ ọzọ na-abịa. (aiōn g165)
[There], Christ is the supreme ruler over every powerful spirit of every level of authority. His rank is much higher than any powerful spirit can receive, not only now, but forever. (aiōn g165)
22 O mere ka ihe niile dị nʼokpuru ya, meekwa ya ka ọ bụrụ onyeisi ihe niile nye nzukọ ya bụ chọọchị.
God has caused all beings to be subject to Christ [MTY], and he has also appointed Christ, who rules over all things, to rule [MET] over all believers.
23 Nke bụ ahụ ya, ozuzu oke nke onye ahụ na-emejupụta ihe niile nʼụzọ niile.
We believers [relate to Christ like the parts of a person’s] body [MET] [relate to its head]. Christ uses all [his power among us] just like he uses his power throughout the whole universe.
