Ephesians 2

1 [Unto] you also—being dead by your offences and sins,

To you Gentiles also, who were dead through your offences and sins,

2 In which at one time ye walked, according to the age of the world, according to the prince of the authority of the air, of the spirit that now energiseth in the sons of disobedience, (aiōn g165)

which were once habitual to you while you walked in the ways of this world and obeyed the Prince of the powers of the air, the spirits that are now at work in the hearts of the sons of disobedience--to you God has given Life. (aiōn g165)

3 Among whom also, we all, had our behaviour, at one time, in the covetings of our flesh, doing the things desired by the flesh and the mind, and were children, by nature, of anger—even as the rest, —

Among them all of us also formerly passed our lives, governed by the inclinations of our lower natures, indulging the cravings of those natures and of our own thoughts, and were in our original state deserving of anger like all others.

4 But, God, being rich in mercy, by reason of the great love wherewith he loved us,

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the intense love which He bestowed on us,

5 Although we were dead by our offences, gave us life together with the Christ, —by favour, ye have been saved, —

caused us, dead though we were through our offences, to live with Christ--it is by grace that you have been saved--

6 And raised us up together, and seated us together in the heavenlies, in Christ:

raised us with Him from the dead, and enthroned us with Him in the heavenly realms as being in Christ Jesus,

7 That he might point out, in the oncoming ages, the surpassing riches of his favour in graciousness upon us, in Christ Jesus; (aiōn g165)

in order that, by His goodness to us in Christ Jesus, He might display in the Ages to come the transcendent riches of His grace. (aiōn g165)

8 For, by his favour, have ye been saved, through means of faith, and this [hath come to pass] —not from you, of God, the free-gift!

For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is God's gift, and is not on the ground of merit--

9 Not from works, lest anyone should boast.

so that it may be impossible for any one to boast.

10 His, in fact we are—his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus upon a footing of good works, which God prepared beforehand, that, therein, we might walk.

For we are God's own handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He has pre-destined us to practise.

11 Wherefore, keep in remembrance—that, at one time, ye, the nations in flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by the so-called Circumcision in flesh, made by hand,

Therefore, do not forget that formerly you were Gentiles as to your bodily condition. You were called the Uncircumcision by those who style themselves the Circumcised--their circumcision being one which the knife has effected.

12 That ye were, in that season, separate from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and godless in the world;

At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world.

13 But, just now, in Christ Jesus, ye, who at one time were afar off, were made nigh in the blood of the Christ;

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were so far away have been brought near through the death of Christ.

14 He, in fact, is our peace—who made both one, and, the enclosing middle-wall, took down,

For He is our peace--He who has made Jews and Gentiles one, and in His own human nature has broken down the hostile dividing wall,

15 The enmity, in his flesh—the law of commandments in decrees—bringing to nought, —that, the two, he might create in himself, into one man of new mould, making peace.

by setting aside the Law with its commandments, expressed, as they were, in definite decrees. His design was to unite the two sections of humanity in Himself so as to form one new man,

16 And might fully reconcile them both, in one body, through means of the cross, —slaying the enmity thereby; —

thus effecting peace, and to reconcile Jews and Gentiles in one body to God, by means of His cross--slaying by it their mutual enmity.

17 And, coming, he announced the glad-message—of peace, unto you, the far off, and peace, unto them that were nigh;

So He came and proclaimed good news of peace to you who were so far away, and peace to those who were near;

18 Because, through him, we have our introduction—we both—in one Spirit, unto the Father.

because it is through Him that Jews and Gentiles alike have access through one Spirit to the Father.

19 Hence, then—no longer, are ye strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens of the saints, and members of the household of God, —

You are therefore no longer mere foreigners or persons excluded from civil rights. On the contrary you share citizenship with God's people and are members of His family.

20 Having been built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, there being, for chief corner stone, Jesus Christ himself, —

You are a building which has been reared on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself,

21 In whom, an entire building, in process of being fitly joined together, is growing into a holy shrine in [the] Lord;

in union with whom the whole fabric, fitted and closely joined together, is growing so as to form a holy sanctuary in the Lord;

22 In whom, ye also, are being builded together, into a habitation of God in Spirit.

in whom you also are being built up together to become a fixed abode for God through the Spirit.