Ephesians 2

1And youdid he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,

1In the past, you were spiritually dead because of your many sins and the wrong things you did.

2wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience;

2At that time, you lived like the rest of the world, following the ruler of the power of the air. This is the spirit that is now at work in those who refuse to obey God.

3among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:—

3All of us once lived that way, following the strong desires of our lower nature and doing whatever our bodies and minds wanted. By our very nature, we were under God's anger, just like everyone else.

4but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

4But God is so rich in mercy and he loved us with such an intense love,

5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),

5that even when we were spiritually dead because of our sins, he gave us life together with Christ. It is by God's grace that you have been saved.

6and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:

6God raised us up from the dead with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

7that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus:

7He did this so that in the future ages he could show the incredible wealth of his grace through the kindness he has shown us in Christ Jesus.

8for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. This is not something you did yourselves; it is a gift from God.

9not of works, that no man should glory.

9It is not a result of your own hard work, so no one can boast about it.

10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.

10We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

11Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands;

11So, remember your history. You were born as Gentiles, and the Jews—who call themselves 'the circumcised' because of a surgical rite—called you 'the uncircumcised.'

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

12In those days, you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship in Israel, and you did not belong to the covenants of God's promise. You lived in the world without hope and without God.

13But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.

13But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you were once far away from God, you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

14For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,

14For Christ himself is our peace. He made the Jews and Gentiles into one group by breaking down the wall of hostility that separated us.

15having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;

15By giving his own body, he ended the system of laws and regulations. He did this to create one new people out of the two groups, making peace between them.

16and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

16He brought both groups together into one body and reconciled them to God by his death on the cross, ending the hostility that was between them.

17and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh:

17He came and preached the Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away, and peace to the Jews who were near.

18for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father.

18Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

19So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

19So now you are no longer strangers or foreigners. You are fellow citizens with God’s holy people, and you belong to God’s own family.

20being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;

20You are built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets laid, with Christ Jesus himself being the most important stone in the building.

21in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord;

21He holds the whole building together, and it grows into a holy temple dedicated to the Lord.

22in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

22Through him, you also are being built together with others to become a place where God lives by his Spirit.