1 ¶ Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Paul, an apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), by the divine will (the purpose and the choice of God) to the saints (the consecrated, set-apart ones) at Ephesus who are also faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ Jesus:

2 G race be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

May grace (God’s unmerited favor) and spiritual peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ;

May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm!

4 a ccording as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in charity;

Even as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.

5 h aving marked out beforehand the way for us to be adopted as sons by Jesus Christ in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will '> because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]—

6 t o the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he has made us accepted in the beloved;

to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

7 i n whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace,

In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor,

8 w hich has over abounded in us in all wisdom and prudence;

Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence),

9 h aving made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself,

Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him,

10 t hat in the dispensation of the fulfillment of the times he might restore all things by the Christ, both those which are in heaven and those which are on earth,

for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, things in heaven and things on the earth.

11 i n him in whom likewise we have obtained an inheritance, having had the way marked out beforehand according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will,

In Him we also were made heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His will,

12 s o that we should be to the praise of his glory, those of us who first trusted in the Christ.

So that we who first hoped in Christ live for the praise of His glory!

13 I n whom ye also trusted, hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your saving health; in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of the promise,

In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit.

14 w hich is the earnest of our inheritance unto the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

That is the guarantee of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring possession of it—to the praise of His glory.

15 ¶ Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and charity unto all the saints,

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints (the people of God),

16 c ease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.

17 t hat the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;

the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

18 i lluminating the eyes of your understanding, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),

19 a nd what is the exceeding greatness of his power in us who believe, by the operation of the power of his strength,

And what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,

20 w hich operated in the Christ, raising him from the dead and setting him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly,

21 f ar above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come,

Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.

22 A nd has put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the congregation,

And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church,

23 w hich is his body, and he is the fullness of her: who fills all things in everyone.

Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all.