Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 From Paul, who by God's will is an apostle of Christ Jesus - To God's people in Ephesus, who are faithful in their life in union with Christ Jesus:
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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ.
3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in our union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world.
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ;
4 Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love
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even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;
5 God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children - this was his pleasure and purpose.
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having predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
6 Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son!
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to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed favor on us in the Beloved,
7 For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God,
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in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
8 which he gave to us in such large measure! In all his wisdom and insight
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which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9 God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ.
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making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him
10 This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.
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to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him;
11 All things are done according to God's plan and decision; and God chose us to be his own people in union with Christ because of his own purpose, based on what he had decided from the very beginning.
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in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will;
12 Let us, then, who were the first to hope in Christ, praise God's glory!
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to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:
13 And you also became God's people when you heard the true message, the Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised.
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in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, -- in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 The Spirit is the guarantee that we shall receive what God has promised his people, and this assures us that God will give complete freedom to those who are his. Let us praise his glory!
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who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory.
15 For this reason, ever since I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people,
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For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints,
16 I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I remember you in my prayers
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don't cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
17 and ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him.
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that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
18 I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people,
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having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 and how very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength
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and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might
20 which he used when he raised Christ from death and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world.
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which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Christ rules there above all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords; he has a title superior to all titles of authority in this world and in the next.
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far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
22 God put all things under Christ's feet and gave him to the church as supreme Lord over all things.
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He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the assembly,
23 The church is Christ's body, the completion of him who himself completes all things everywhere.
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which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.