^3:9and to enlighten²¹ everyone about God’s secret plan²²—a secret that has been hidden for ages²³ in God²⁴ who has created all things. ^3:10The purpose of this enlightenment is that²⁵ through the church the multifaceted wisdom²⁶ of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. ^3:11This was according to²⁷ the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

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Footnotes

21 There is a possible causative nuance in the Greek verb, but this is difficult to convey in the translation.
22 Grk “what is the plan of the divine secret.” Earlier the author had used οἰκονομία (oikonomia; here “plan”) to refer to his own “stewardship” (v. 2). But now he is speaking about the content of this secret, not his own activity in relation to it.
23 Or “for eternity,” or perhaps “from the Aeons.” Cf. 2:2, 7.
24 Or “by God.” It is possible that ἐν (en) plus the dative here indicates agency, that is, that God has performed the action of hiding the secret. However, this usage of the preposition ἐν is quite rare in the NT, and even though here it does follow a perfect passive verb as in the Classical idiom, it is more likely that a different nuance is intended.
25 Grk “that.” Verse 10 is a subordinate clause to the verb “enlighten” in v. 9.
26 Or “manifold wisdom,” “wisdom in its rich variety.”
27 Grk “according to.” The verse is a prepositional phrase subordinate to v. 10.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

NIVNew International Version (2011)

and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NLTNew Living Translation

I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

and to enlighten everyone as to what is the administration of the mystery hidden from the ages by God, who created all things, in order that the many-sided wisdom of God might be made known now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places through the church, according to the purpose of the ages which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

KJV 1900King James Version

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

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