Ephesians - an English Translation

This is my English translation of Ephesians, shaped by close attention to the Greek and presented here without notes for uninterrupted reading. You can also read it side-by-side with the Greek. Translation decisions follow the Translation Micro–Style Guide.

Click here to join me in translating Ephesians starting February 3, 2026!

Chapter Navigation: [Chap 1], [Chap 2], [Chap 3], [Chap 4], [Chap 5], [Chap 6]

Chapter 1

Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus through God’s will, to the holy ones being in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has provided us with benefits in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
just as He selected us in Him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and blameless before Him in love,
having foreordained us into adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of His glorious grace with which He bestowed grace on us in the beloved;
in whom we have the redemption through His blood, the pardon of sin, according to the riches of His grace,
which He lavished on us in all wisdom and understanding,
having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which he had intended in Him
in the administration of the fullness of the times, to unite all things in Christ—both things in the heavens and on the earth—in Him.
In Him we have also obtained an inheritance having been foreordained according to the plan of Him who brings all things into effect according to the counsel of His will,
so that we, who first hoped in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory;
in whom you also, having heard the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—also in whom, having believed, you were sealed by the promised Holy Spirit,
who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Because of this, I too, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love for all the holy ones,
ceased not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him,
having the eyes of your heart enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling and what is the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who are believing according to the working of His mighty strength
which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him on His right hand in the heavenly places,
above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the age to come.
And He put all things in subjection under His feet and gave Him as head over all things unto the church,
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Chapter Navigation: [Chap 1], [Chap 2], [Chap 3], [Chap 4], [Chap 5], [Chap 6]

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Chapter 2

And you were dead in trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked, according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit now operating in the sons of disobedience,
among whom we all once lived in the cravings of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and of the minds, and we were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest
But God, who is rich in mercy, through His plentiful love, with which He loved us,
and we were dead in sins, He made us alive together in Christ (by grace you all have been saved)
and raised us up together and made us sit down in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus,
so that He might demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;
for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves—the gift of God;
not from works, so that none may boast.
For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them.
Therefore, remember that you formerly were Gentiles in the flesh, who were called the uncircumcision, by those who call themselves the circumcision—in flesh made by hands—
that you were, at that time, without Christ, having been alienated of the citizenship of Israel, and strangers of the covenants of the promise, without having hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace, He who made both one and destroyed the dividing wall of the partition,
having abolished the enmity by His flesh, the law of the commandments contained in decrees, so that He might create in Himself of the two one new man, making peace,
and he might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross having killed the enmity in himself.
And He having come, proclaimed peace to those who were far away and those who were near,
because through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Then, therefore, you are no longer aliens and strangers but fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God,
having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone,
in whom the entire building fitly joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
also in whom you are being built up together into a dwelling place of God by the Spirit.

Chapter Navigation: [Chap 1], [Chap 2], [Chap 3], [Chap 4], [Chap 5], [Chap 6]

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Chapter 3

For this purpose I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
if indeed you heard the administration of God’s grace having been given to me for you,
that by revelation He made known to me the mystery as I wrote beforehand in brief,
whereby when reading you can understand my insight in the mystery of Christ,
which, in other generations, was not revealed to the sons of man as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers in His promise in Christ through the gospel,
of which I became a minister according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me according to the working of His power.
To me, the least of all the saints, was given this grace to proclaim among the Gentiles the incomprehensible riches of Christ,
and to illuminate for all men what is the fellowship of the mystery concealed from the ages in God who created all things through Jesus Christ,
so that might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavens through the church the manifold wisdom of God
according to His eternal purpose that He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord;
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
Therefore, I implore that you not be discouraged because of my afflictions on your behalf, which is your glory.
For this reason, I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named,
that He might give to you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man,
that you may have Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, firmly rooted and grounded in love
so that you may be strong enough to firmly grasp with all the holy ones, what is the breadth and length and depth and height,
and to know the knowledge-surpassing love of Christ, so you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine according to the power that works in us,
to Him be the glory in the church in Christ Jesus, to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Chapter Navigation: [Chap 1], [Chap 2], [Chap 3], [Chap 4], [Chap 5], [Chap 6]

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Chapter 4

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthily of the calling to which you were called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
striving to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,
one body and one Spirit, just as you were also called in one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is upon all and through all and in you all.
Now to each one of us was given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Therefore, it says:
“Having ascended on high, he led captivity captive and he gave gifts to men.”
(Now concerning “He ascended” what does it mean except that He descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He who descended is also He who ascended high above all the heavens so that he might fill all things.)
And He himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers,
for equipping the saints for the work of service for the building up of the body of Christ,
until we may all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of Christ’s fullness;
so that we may no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of men, by the craftiness in deceitful scheming;
rather, speaking the truth in love let us grow up in every way toward Him who is the head—Christ,
from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together through every supporting joint, according to the functioning capacity, in its measure, of each part, causes its own growth for building itself up in love.
Therefore, I say this and solemnly attest in the Lord that you must no longer walk even as the other Gentiles walk in the futility of their minds,
being darkened in understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance in them, because of the hardness of their hearts;
which having become callous delivered themselves over to licentiousness in order to practice every kind of uncleanness in greediness.
But you have not learned Christ thusly,
if indeed you heard Him and were taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
lay aside, according to your former conduct, the old man, the one being corrupted according to the deceitful desires;
to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
and put on the new man, according to God having been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Therefore, lay aside the lie, every man speak truth with his neighbor as we are members of one another.
Be angry and sin not; let not the sun set on your anger;
and give no place to the devil.
Let the one who steals no longer steal, but rather let him labor, working what is good with his hands so that he may have to share with the one who has need.
Let no unwholesome word come from your mouth, but that which is useful for edification where it is necessary so that it may give grace to those who are hearing.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and clamor, and blasphemy, be removed from you together with all malice;
and be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving each other even as God in Christ also forgave you.

Chapter Navigation: [Chap 1], [Chap 2], [Chap 3], [Chap 4], [Chap 5], [Chap 6]

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Chapter 5

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children;
and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and delivered Himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant aroma.
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness must not be named among you even as fitting the holy ones;
nor let obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse jesting—which are not fitting— but rather thanksgiving.
For this you know that every fornicator or unclean or greedy man, who is an idolator, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words; for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not become partakers with them;
for you were formerly darkness, but now light in the Lord; walk as children of light
(for the fruit of the Spirit is all goodness and righteousness and truth),
discerning what is pleasing to the Lord;
and take no more part in the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them;
to even mention the things that are done by them in secret is shameful.
Now all things when they are reproved by the light are revealed; for everything revealed is light.
Therefore, it says
“Rise up O sleeper and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Therefore, see that you walk carefully, not as unwise, but as wise,
redeeming the time because the days are evil.
Therefore, do not be ignorant but comprehend what is the will of the Lord.
And be not drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit,
speaking to each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord,
giving thanks at all times for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ unto God the Father,
submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Women be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord,
for the husband is head of the wife just as Christ is head of the church and He is the savior of the body.
Now as the church is subject to Christ, thus the wife is to her own husband in all things.
Husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and delivered Himself for her;
so that He may consecrate her, having purified her by the washing with water by the word,
so that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot, or wrinkle, or anything of the sort, but that she may be holy and blameless.
In this manner, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church;
because we are members of His body made from His flesh and made from His bone.
For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.
this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and concerning the church.
Nevertheless, let each one of you so love his wife as himself, and let the wife reverence her husband.

Chapter Navigation: [Chap 1], [Chap 2], [Chap 3], [Chap 4], [Chap 5], [Chap 6]

Chapter 6

Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.
Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise),
that it may come to be well with you and you will be long-lived on the earth.
and fathers do not provoke your children to anger, rather rear them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves, obey those who are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your hearts, as to Christ;
not by way of eyeservice as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart,
rendering service with good will as to the Lord and not to men;
knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive from the Lord whether slave or free.
and masters do the same things to them, cease threatening, knowing that your and their lord is in heaven and there is no partiality with Him.
Finally, my brothers, be strengthened in the Lord and in His mighty strength.
Clothe yourselves in the full armor of God in order that you may be able to stand against the scheming of the devil;
because our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against authorities against the powers against the world rulers of this dark age, against the spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day and having done all to stand.
Stand, therefore, having your waist gird about with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having put on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace;
in addition to all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the evil one’s flaming arrows.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
with all prayer and supplication, praying always in the Spirit, for this very purpose, being watchful in all perseverance and prayer concerning all the holy ones,
and on my behalf, so that that a message may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
concerning which I am an ambassador in a chain so that therein I may speak boldly as is necessary for me to speak.
But that you also may know my circumstances — what I am doing — Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you,
whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.
Peace to the brothers and love with faith from God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to all of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ imperishably.

Chapter Navigation: [Chap 1], [Chap 2], [Chap 3], [Chap 4], [Chap 5], [Chap 6]

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