1 Paul, an apostlea of Christ Jesus by the will of God,b

To God’s holy peoplec in Ephesus,a d the faithfule in Christ Jesus:

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

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,g who has blessed us in the heavenly realmsh with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose usi in him before the creation of the worldj to be holy and blamelessk in his sight. In lovel 5 heb predestinedm us for adoption to sonshipc n through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasureo and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace,p which he has freely given us in the One he loves.q 7 In him we have redemptionr through his blood,s the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the richest of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 hed made known to us the mysteryu of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposedv in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillmentw—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.x

11 In him we were also chosen,e having been predestinedy according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purposez of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.a 13 And you also were included in Christb when you heard the message of truth,c the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal,d the promised Holy Spirit,e 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritancef until the redemptiong of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.h

Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesusi and your love for all God’s people,j 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you,k remembering you in my prayers.l 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,m may give you the Spiritf of wisdomn and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightenedo in order that you may know the hope to which he has calledp you, the richesq of his glorious inheritancer in his holy people,s 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That powert is the same as the mighty strengthu 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the deadv and seated him at his right handw in the heavenly realms,x 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,y and every namez that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.a 22 And God placed all things under his feetb and appointed him to be headc over everything for the church, 23 which is his body,d the fullness of hime who fills everything in every way.f

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,g 2 in which you used to liveh when you followed the ways of this worldi and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,j the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.k 3 All of us also lived among them at one time,l gratifying the cravings of our flesha m and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us,n God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionso—it is by grace you have been saved.p 6 And God raised us up with Christq and seated us with himr in the heavenly realmss in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,t expressed in his kindnessu to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by gracev you have been saved,w through faithx—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works,y so that no one can boast.z 10 For we are God’s handiwork,a createdb in Christ Jesus to do good works,c which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

11 Therefore, remember that formerlyd you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)e—12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreignersf to the covenants of the promise,g without hopeh and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who oncei were far away have been brought nearj by the blood of Christ.k

14 For he himself is our peace,l who has made the two groups onem and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his fleshn the law with its commands and regulations.o His purpose was to create in himself onep new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,q by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peacer to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.s 18 For through him we both have accesst to the Fatheru by one Spirit.v

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,w but fellow citizensx with God’s people and also members of his household,y 20 builtz on the foundationa of the apostles and prophets,b with Christ Jesus himselfc as the chief cornerstone.d 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy templee in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.f