New International Version

New Living Translation

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To God’s holy people in Ephesus,a the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Greetings from Paul

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus,a who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.

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Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

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Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

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Spiritual Blessings

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

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For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

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Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

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heb predestined us for adoption to sonshipc through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will —

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God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

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to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

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So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.b

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In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

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He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

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that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,

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He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

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hed made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

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God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ — which is to fulfill his own good plan.

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to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment — to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

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And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ — everything in heaven and on earth.

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In him we were also chosen,e having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

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Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,c for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

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in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

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God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.

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And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

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And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his ownd by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

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who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.

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The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

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Thanksgiving and Prayer

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people,

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Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,e

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I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

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I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,

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I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spiritf of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

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asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdomf and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

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I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

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I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called — his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.g

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and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

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I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power

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he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

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that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

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far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

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Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else — not only in this world but also in the world to come.

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And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

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God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.

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which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

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And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

Parallel

New International Version

New Living Translation

Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1