Ephesians New Living Translation (NLT)
Chapter 1
Greetings from Paul
1This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
It is written to God's holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
2May grace and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Spiritual Blessings
3How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in
the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. 4Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us
and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5His unchanging plan has always been to
adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
6So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved
Son. 7He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are
forgiven. 8He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according
to his good pleasure. 10And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the
authority of Christ--everything in heaven and on earth. 11Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received
an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long
ago. 12God's purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. 13And
now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he
identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14The Spirit is God's
guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people.
This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
Pauls Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, 16I
have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17asking God, the glorious Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge
of God. 18I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future
he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to
his people.
19I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is
the same mighty power 20that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right
hand in the heavenly realms. 21Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else
in this world or in the world to come. 22And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave
him this authority for the benefit of the church. 23And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills
everything everywhere with his presence.
Chapter 2
Made Alive with Christ
1Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. 2You used to live just like the rest of the
world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the
hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires
of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.
4But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, 5that even while we were dead because of our
sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have
been saved!) 6For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly
realms--all because we are one with Christ Jesus. 7And so God can always point to us as examples of the
incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus.
8God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from
God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10For
we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he
planned for us long ago.
Oneness and Peace in Christ
11Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders by birth. You were called "the uncircumcised ones" by
the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their
hearts. 12In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from God's people, Israel, and
you did not know the promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
13But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you once were far away from God, now you have been brought
near to him because of the blood of Christ.
14For Christ himself has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one people. He has
broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us. 15By his death he ended the whole system of
Jewish law that excluded the Gentiles. His purpose was to make peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating
in himself one new person from the two groups. 16Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to
God by means of his death, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 17He has brought this
Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and to us Jews who were near. 18Now all
of us, both Jews and Gentiles, may come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ
has done for us.
A Temple for the Lord
19So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy
people. You are members of God's family. 20We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the
prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21We who believe are carefully joined together,
becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22Through him you Gentiles are also joined together as part of this
dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Chapter 3
Gods Secret Plan Revealed
1I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus because of my preaching to you Gentiles. 2As you already know, God
has given me this special ministry of announcing his favor to you Gentiles. 3As I briefly mentioned earlier in
this letter, God himself revealed his secret plan to me. 4As you read what I have written, you will understand
what I know about this plan regarding Christ. 5God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now he has
revealed it by the Holy Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.
6And this is the secret plan: The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by
God's children. Both groups have believed the Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy
together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus. 7By God's special favor and mighty power, I have
been given the wonderful privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
8Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was
chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9I
was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the
beginning.
10God's purpose was to show his wisdom in all its rich variety to all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly
realms. They will see this when Jews and Gentiles are joined together in his church. 11This was his plan from
all eternity, and it has now been carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
12Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of his glad
welcome. 13So please don't despair because of what they are doing to me here. It is for you that I am
suffering, so you should feel honored and encouraged.
Pauls Prayer for Spiritual Empowering
14When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15the
Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give
you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. 17And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in
your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. 18And
may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how
deep his love really is. 19May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully
understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than
we would ever dare to ask or hope. 21May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and
ever through endless ages. Amen.
Chapter 4
Unity in the Body
1Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been
called by God. 2Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults
because of your love. 3Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with
peace.
4We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.
5There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and
in us all and living through us all. 7However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the
generosity of Christ. 8That is why the Scriptures say,
"When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people."
9Notice that it says "he ascended." This means that Christ first came down to the lowly world in which we
live. 10The same one who came down is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that his rule
might fill the entire universe.
11He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the
pastors and teachers. 12Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church,
the body of Christ, 13until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be
mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone
has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the
truth. 15Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is
the head of his body, the church. 16Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each
part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing
and full of love.
Living as Children of Light
17With the Lord's authority let me say this: Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly
confused. 18Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have
shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19They don't care anymore about right and wrong,
and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and
greed.
20But that isn't what you were taught when you learned about Christ. 21Since you have heard all about him
and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, 22throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life,
which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. 23Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal
of your thoughts and attitudes. 24You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in
God's likeness--righteous, holy, and true.
25So put away all falsehood and "tell your neighbor the truth" because we belong to each other. 26And "don't
sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27for anger
gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.
28If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to
others in need. 29Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that
your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has
identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.
32Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has
forgiven you.
Chapter 5
Living in the Light
1Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2Live a life filled with love for
others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins.
And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.
3Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's
people. 4Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes--these are not for you. Instead, let there be
thankfulness to God. 5You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of
Christ and of God. For a greedy person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world. 6Don't be
fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible anger of God comes upon all those who disobey
him. 7Don't participate in the things these people do. 8For though your hearts were once full of darkness,
now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! 9For this light within you produces
only what is good and right and true.
10Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness;
instead, rebuke and expose them. 12It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in
secret. 13But when the light shines on them, it becomes clear how evil these things are. 14And where your
light shines, it will expose their evil deeds. This is why it is said,
"Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light."
Living by the Spirits Power
15So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. 16Make the most of every opportunity
for doing good in these evil days. 17Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you
to do. 18Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control
you. 19Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord
in your hearts. 20And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands
21And further, you will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22You wives will submit to your
husbands as you do to the Lord. 23For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the
church; he gave his life to be her Savior. 24As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to
your husbands in everything.
25And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life
for her 26to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. 27He did this to present her to
himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and
without fault. 28In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a
man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. 29No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it,
just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. 30And we are his body.
31As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united
into one." 32This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33So
again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Chapter 6
Children and Parents
1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2"Honor your
father and mother." This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. 3And this is the
promise: If you honor your father and mother, "you will live a long life, full of blessing."
4And now a word to you fathers. Don't make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring
them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve
Christ. 6Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the
will of God with all your heart. 7Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than
for people. 8Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or
free.
9And in the same way, you masters must treat your slaves right. Don't threaten them; remember, you both
have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.
The Whole Armor of God
10A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. 11Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to
stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. 12For we are not fighting against people made of flesh
and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of
darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
13Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still
be standing firm. 14Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's
righteousness. 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully
prepared. 16In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.
17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18Pray at all
times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for
all Christians everywhere.
19And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God's secret plan that the
Good News is for the Gentiles, too. 20I am in chains now for preaching this message as God's ambassador. But
pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
Final Greetings
21Tychicus, a much loved brother and faithful helper in the Lord's work, will tell you all about how I am
getting along. 22I am sending him to you for just this purpose. He will let you know how we are, and he will
encourage you.
23May God give you peace, dear brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. 24May God's grace be upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.