New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 You were dead through the trespasses and sins
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And to you did he give life, when you were dead through your wrongdoing and sins,
2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient.
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In which you were living in the past, after the ways of this present world, doing the pleasure of the lord of the power of the air, the spirit who is now working in those who go against the purpose of God;
3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.
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Among whom we all at one time were living in the pleasures of our flesh, giving way to the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and the punishment of God was waiting for us even as for the rest.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us
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But God, being full of mercy, through the great love which he had for us,
5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ —by grace you have been saved—
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Even when we were dead through our sins, gave us life together with Christ (by grace you have salvation),
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
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So that we came back from death with him, and are seated with him in the heavens, in Christ Jesus;
7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
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That in the time to come he might make clear the full wealth of his grace in his mercy to us in Christ Jesus:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—
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Because by grace you have salvation through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is given by God:
9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.
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Not by works, so that no man may take glory to himself.
10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
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For by his act we were given existence in Christ Jesus to do those good works which God before made ready for us so that we might do them.
11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called "the uncircumcision" by those who are called "the circumcision"—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—
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For this reason keep it in mind that in the past you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are looked on as being outside the circumcision by those who have circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands;
12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
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That you were at that time without Christ, being cut off from any part in Israel's rights as a nation, having no part in God's agreement, having no hope, and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
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But now in Christ Jesus you who at one time were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.
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For he is our peace, who has made the two into one, and by whom the middle wall of division has been broken down,
15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace,
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Having in his flesh put an end to that which made the division between us, even the law with its rules and orders, so that he might make in himself, of the two, one new man, so making peace;
16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.
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And that the two might come into agreement with God in one body through the cross, so putting an end to that division.
17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near;
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And he came preaching peace to you who were far off, and to those who were near;
18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.
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Because through him the two of us are able to come near in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,
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So then you are no longer as those who have no part or place in the kingdom of God, but you are numbered among the saints, and of the family of God,
20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
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Resting on the base of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief keystone,
21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;
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In whom all the building, rightly joined together, comes to be a holy house of God in the Lord;
22 in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
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In whom you, with the rest, are united together as a living-place of God in the Spirit.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.