Ephesians, 2

1. And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;

1. You were dead through the faults and sins.

2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

2. Once you lived through them according to this world and followed the Sovereign Ruler who reigns between heaven and earth and who goes on working in those who resist the faith.

3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

3. All of us belonged to them at one time and we followed human greed; we obeyed the urges of our human nature and consented to its desires. By ourselves, we went straight to the judgment like the rest of humankind.

4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

4. But God, who is rich in mercy, revealed his immense love.

5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

5. As we were dead through our sins, he gave us life with Christ. By grace you have been saved!

6. And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:

6. And he raised us to life with Christ, giving us a place with him in heaven.

7. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

7. In showing us such kindness in Christ Jesus, God willed to reveal and unfold in the coming ages the extraordinary riches of his grace.

8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

8. By the grace of God you have been saved through faith. This has not come from you: it is God's gift.

9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

9. This was not the result of your works, so you are not to feel proud.

10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

10. What we are is God's work. He has created us in Christ Jesus for the good works he has prepared that we should devote ourselves to them.

11. Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

11. Remember that you were pagans even in your flesh and the Jews, who call themselves Circumcised (because of a surgical circumcision), called you Uncircumcised.

12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

12. At that time you were without Christ, you did not belong to the community of Israel; the covenants of God and his promises were not for you; you had no hope and were without God in this world.

13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

13. But now, in Christ Jesus and by his blood, you who were once far off have come near.

14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];

14. For Christ is our peace, he who has made the two peoples one,

15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;

15. destroying in his own flesh the wall - the hatred - which separated us. He abolished the Law with its commands and precepts. He made peace in uniting the two peoples in him, creating out of the two one New Man.

16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

16. He destroyed hatred and reconciled us both to God through the cross, making the two one body.

17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

17. He came to proclaim peace; peace to you who were far off, peace to the Jews who were near.

18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

18. Through him we - the two peoples - approach the Father in one Spirit.

19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

19. Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people: you are of the household of God. You are the house

20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];

20. whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus.

21. In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

21. In him the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a holy temple in the Lord.

22. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

22. In him you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of God.