
{1}1{/}

{I}1_{/}Paul, an apostle 
of Christ Jesus by the 
will of God,
to the saints in Ephesus, 
to you who share 
Christian faith:
{I}2_{/}receive grace and 
peace from God our Father 
and from Jesus the Lord.
{I}3_{/}Blessed be God, 
the Father of Christ 
Jesus our Lord,
who in Christ has blessed 
us from heaven with every 
spiritual blessing.
{I}4_{/}God chose us in 
him before the creation 
of the world
to be holy and without 
sin in his presence.
{I}5_{/}From eternity he 
destined us in love
to be his sons and 
daughters through Christ 
Jesus,
thus fulfilling his free 
and generous will.
This goal suited him:
{I}6_{/}that his loving-
kindness which he granted 
us in his Beloved
might finally receive all 
glory and praise.
{I}7_{/}For in Christ we 
obtain freedom, sealed by 
his blood,
and have the forgiveness 
of sins.
In this appears the 
greatness of his grace,
{I}8_{/}which he lavished 
on us.
In all wisdom and 
understanding,
{I}9_{/}God has made 
known to us his 
mysterious design,
in accordance with his 
loving-kindness in 
Christ.
{I}10_{/}In him and under 
him God wanted to unite,
when the fullness of time 
had come,
everything in heaven and 
on earth.
{I}11_{/}By a decree of 
Him who disposes all 
things
according to his own plan 
and decision
we, the Jews, have been 
chosen and called
{I}12_{/}and we were 
awaiting the Messiah,
for the praise of his 
glory.
{I}13_{/}You, on hearing 
the word of truth,
the Gospel that saves 
you,
have believed in him.
And, as promised, you 
were sealed with the Holy 
Spirit,
{I}14_{/}the first pledge 
of what we shall receive,
on the way to our 
deliverance as a people 
of God,
for the praise of his 
glory.
GOD HAS PUT ALL THINGS 
UNDER THE FEET OF 
CHRIST{/}

{I}15_{/}I have been told 
of your faith and your 
affection towards all the 
believers, {I}16_{/}so I 
always give thanks to 
God, remembering you in 
my prayers.
{I}17_{/}May the God of 
Christ Jesus our Lord, 
the Father of Glory, 
reveal himself to you and 
give you a spirit of 
wisdom, that you may know 
him.
{I}18_{/}May he enlighten 
your inner vision, that 
you may appreciate the 
things we hope for, since 
we were called by God.
May you know how great is 
the inheritance, the 
glory, God sets apart for 
his saints;
{I}19_{/}may you 
understand with what 
extraordinary power he 
acts in favor of us who 
believe.
{I}20_{/}He revealed his 
almighty power in Christ 
when he raised him from 
the dead and had him sit 
at his right hand in 
heaven, {I}21_{/}far 
above all rule, power, 
authority, dominion, or 
any other supernatural 
force that could be 
named, not only in this 
world but in the world to 
come as well.
{I}22_{/}Thus has God put 
all things under the feet 
of Christ and set him 
above all things, as head 
of the Church 
{I}23_{/}which is his 
body. He who fills all in 
all unfolds his fullness 
in the Church.
BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN 
SAVED!{/}

{1}2{/}

{I}1_{/}You were dead 
through  the faults and 
sins. {I}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. 
{I}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.
{I}4_{/}But God, who is 
rich in mercy, revealed 
his immense love. 
{I}5_{/}As we were dead 
through our sins, he gave 
us life with Christ. By 
grace you have been 
saved! {I}6_{/}And he 
raised us to life with 
Christ, giving us a place 
with him in heaven.
{I}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. {I}8_{/}By the 
grace of God you have 
been saved through faith. 
This has not come from 
you: it is God's gift. 
{I}9_{/}This was not the 
result of your works, so 
you are not to feel 
proud. {I}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. 
CHRIST IS OUR PEACE{/}

{I}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. 
{I}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. {I}13{/}But now, 
in Christ Jesus and by 
his blood, you who were 
once far off have come 
near.
{I}14_{/}For Christ is 
our peace, he who has 
made the two peoples one, 
{I}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. {I}16_{/}He 
destroyed hatred and 
reconciled us both to God 
through the cross, making 
the two one body.
{I}17_{/}He came to 
proclaim peace; peace to 
you who were far off, 
peace to the Jews who 
were near. 
{I}18_{/}Through him we - 
the two peoples - 
approach the Father in 
one Spirit.
{I}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 {I}20_{/}whose 
foundations are the 
apostles and prophets, 
and whose cornerstone is 
Christ Jesus. {I}21_{/}In 
him the whole structure 
is joined together and 
rises to be a holy temple 
in the Lord. {I}22_{/}In 
him you too are being 
built to become the 
spiritual sanctuary of 
God.
GOD'S INHERITANCE IS FOR 
ALL{/}

{1}3{/}

{I}1_{/}For this reason 
I, Paul,  came to be the 
prisoner of Christ for 
you, the non-Jews. 
{I}2_{/}You may have 
heard of the graces God 
bestowed on me for your 
sake. {I}3_{/}By a 
revelation he gave me the 
knowledge of his 
mysterious design, as I 
have explained in a few 
words. {I}4_{/}On reading 
them you will have some 
idea of how I understand 
the mystery of Christ.
{I}5_{/}This mystery was 
not made known to past 
generations but only now, 
through revelations given 
to holy apostles and 
prophets. {I}6_{/}Now the 
non-Jewish people share 
the Inheritance; in 
Christ Jesus the non-Jews 
are incorporated and are 
to enjoy the Promise.
This is the Good News 
{I}7_{/}of which I have 
become minister by a gift 
of God, a grace he gave 
me, when his power worked 
in me.
{I}8_{/}This grace was 
given to me, the least 
among all the holy ones: 
to announce to the pagan 
nations the immeasurable 
riches of Christ 
{I}9_{/}and to make clear 
to all how the mystery, 
hidden from the beginning 
in God, the Creator of 
all things, is to be 
fulfilled.
{I}10_{/}Even the 
heavenly forces and 
powers will now discover 
through the Church the 
wisdom of God in its 
manifold expression, as 
the plan is being 
fulfilled {I}11_{/}which 
God designed from the 
beginning in Christ 
Jesus, our Lord. 
{I}12_{/}In him we 
receive boldness and 
confidence to approach 
God.
{I}13_{/}So I ask you not 
to be discouraged at 
seeing the trials I 
endure for you, but 
rather to feel proud 
because of them.
{I}14_{/}And now I kneel 
in the presence of the 
Father  {I}15_{/}from 
whom every family in 
heaven and on earth has 
received its name.
{I}16_{/}May he 
strengthen in you the 
inner self through his 
Spirit, according to the 
riches of his glory;
{I}17_{/}may Christ dwell 
in your hearts through 
faith;
may you be rooted and 
founded in love.
{I}18_{/}All of this so 
that you may understand 
with all the holy ones 
the width, the length, 
the height and the depth 
- in a word, 
{I}19_{/}that you may 
know the love of Christ 
which surpasses all 
knowledge, that you may 
be filled and reach the 
fullness of God.
{I}20_{/}Glory to God who 
shows his power in us and 
can do much more than we 
could ask or imagine; 
{I}21_{/}glory to him in 
the Church and in Christ 
Jesus through all 
generations for ever and 
ever. Amen.
WE SHALL BECOME THE 
PERFECT CREATION{/}

{1}4{/}

{I}1_{/}Therefore I, the 
prisoner of Christ, 
invite you to live the 
vocation you have 
received. {I}2_{/}Be 
humble, kind, patient, 
and bear with one another 
in love.
{I}3_{/}Make every effort 
to keep among you the 
unity of Spirit through 
bonds of peace. 
{I}4_{/}Let there be one 
body and one spirit, for 
God, in calling you, gave 
the same Spirit to all. 
{I}5_{/}One Lord, one 
faith, one baptism. 
{I}6_{/}One God, the 
Father of all, who is 
above all and works 
through all and is in 
all.
{I}7_{/}But to each of us 
divine grace is given 
according to the measure 
of Christ's gift. 
{I}8_{/}Therefore it is 
said: When he ascended to 
the heights, he brought 
captives and gave his 
gifts to people.
{I}9_{/}He ascended: this 
refers to the one who 
first descended to the 
dead in the lower parts 
of the world. {I}10_{/}He 
himself who went down, 
then ascended far above 
all the heavens to fill 
all things. {I}11{/}As 
for his gifts, to some he 
gave to be apostles, to 
others prophets, or even 
evangelists, or pastors 
and teachers. {I}12_{/}So 
he prepared those who 
belong to him for the 
ministry, in order to 
build up the Body of 
Christ, {I}13_{/}until we 
are all united in the 
same faith and knowledge 
of the Son of God. Thus 
we shall become the 
perfect Man, upon 
reaching maturity and 
sharing the fullness of 
Christ.
{I}14_{/}Then no longer 
shall we be like children 
tossed about by any wave 
or wind of doctrine, and 
deceived by the cunning 
of people who drag them 
along into error. 
{I}15_{/}Rather, with 
sincere love, we shall 
grow in every way towards 
him who is the head, 
Christ. {I}16_{/}From him 
comes the growth of the 
whole body to which a 
network of joints gives 
order and cohesion, 
taking into account and 
making use of the 
function of each one. So 
the body builds itself in 
love.
PUT ON THE NEW SELF{/}

{I}17_{/}I say to you, 
then, and with insistence 
I advise you in the Lord: 
do not  imitate the 
pagans who  live an 
aimless kind of life. 
{I}18_{/}Their 
understanding is in 
darkness and they remain 
in ignorance because of 
their blind conscience, 
very far from the life of 
God. {I}19_{/}As a result 
of their corruption, they 
have abandoned themselves 
to sensuality and have 
eagerly given themselves 
to every kind of 
immorality.
{I}20_{/}But it is not 
for this that you have 
followed Christ. 
{I}21_{/}For I suppose 
that you heard of him and 
received his teaching 
which is seen in Jesus 
himself. {I}22_{/}You 
must give up your former 
way of living, the old 
self, whose deceitful 
desires bring self-
destruction. 
{I}23_{/}Renew yourselves 
spiritually, from inside, 
{I}24_{/}and put on the 
new self, or self 
according to God, which 
is created in true 
righteousness and 
holiness.
{I}25_{/}Therefore, give 
up lying; let all of us 
speak the truth to our 
neighbors for we are 
members of one another. 
{I}26_{/}Be angry but do 
not sin: do not let your 
anger last until the end 
of the day, {I}27_{/}lest 
you give the devil a 
foothold.
{I}28_{/}Let the one who 
used to steal, steal no 
more, but busy himself 
working usefully with his 
hands so that he may have 
something to share with 
the needy. {I}29_{/}Do 
not let even one bad word 
come from your mouth, but 
only good words that will 
encourage when necessary 
and be helpful to those 
who hear.
{I}30_{/}Do not sadden 
the Holy Spirit of God 
which you were marked 
with. It will be your 
distinctive mark on the 
day of salvation. 
{I}31_{/}Do away with all 
quarreling, rage, anger, 
insults and every kind of 
malice: {I}32_{/}be good 
and understanding, 
mutually forgiving one 
another as God forgave 
you in Christ.
IMITATE GOD{/}

{1}5{/}

{I}1_{/}As most beloved 
children of God, strive 
to imitate him. 
{I}2_{/}Follow the way of 
love, the example of 
Christ who loved you. He 
gave himself up for us 
and became the offering 
and sacrificial victim 
whose fragrance rises to 
God. {I}3_{/}And since 
you are holy, there must 
not be among you even a 
hint of sexual immorality 
or greed, or any kind of 
impurity: these should 
not be named among you. 
{I}4_{/}So too for 
scandalous words, 
nonsense and foolishness, 
which are not fitting; 
instead offer 
thanksgiving to God.
{I}5_{/}Know this: no 
depraved, impure or 
covetous person who 
serves the god 'Money' 
shall have part in the 
kingdom of Christ and of 
God. {I}6_{/}Let no one 
deceive you with empty 
arguments, for these are 
the sins which God is 
about to condemn in 
people who do not obey. 
{I}7_{/}Do not associate 
with such people. 
{I}8_{/}You were once 
darkness, but now you are 
light in the Lord. Behave 
as children of light; 
{I}9_{/}the fruits of 
light are kindness, 
justice and truth in 
every form.
{I}10_{/}You yourselves 
search out what pleases 
the Lord, {I}11_{/}and 
take no part in works of 
darkness that are of no 
benefit; expose them 
instead. {I}12_{/}Indeed 
it is a shame even to 
speak of what those 
people do in secret, 
{I}13_{/}but as soon as 
it is exposed to the 
light, everything becomes 
clear. {I}14_{/}And what 
has become clear becomes 
light. Therefore it is 
said:
"Awake, you who sleep, 
arise from the dead that 
the light of Christ may 
shine on you."
{I}15_{/}Pay attention to 
how you behave. Do not 
live as the unwise do, 
but as responsible 
persons. {I}16_{/}Try to 
make good use of the 
present time, because 
these days are evil. 
{I}17_{/}So do not be 
foolish but understand 
what the will of the Lord 
is.
{I}18_{/}Do not get 
drunk: wine leads to 
levity; but be filled 
with the Holy Spirit. 
{I}19_{/}Gather together 
to pray with psalms, 
hymns and spiritual 
songs. Sing and celebrate 
the Lord in your heart, 
{I}20_{/}giving thanks to 
God the Father in the 
name of Christ Jesus, our 
Lord, always and for 
everything.
HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR 
WIVES{/}

{I}21_{/}Let all kinds of 
submission to one another 
become obedience to 
Christ. {I}22_{/}So wives 
to their husbands: as to 
the Lord.
{I}23_{/}The husband is 
the head of his wife, as 
Christ is the head of the 
Church, his body, of whom 
he is also the Savior. 
{I}24_{/}And as the 
Church submits to Christ, 
so let a wife submit in 
everything to her 
husband.
{I}25_{/}As for you, 
husbands, love your wives 
as Christ loved the 
Church and gave himself 
up for her. {I}26_{/}He 
washed her and made her 
holy by baptism in the 
Word. {I}27_{/}As he 
wanted a radiant Church 
without stain or wrinkle 
or any blemish, but holy 
and blameless, he himself 
had to prepare and 
present her to himself.
{I}28_{/}In the same way, 
husbands should love 
their wives as they love 
their own bodies. He who 
loves his wife loves  
himself. {I}29_{/}And no 
one has ever hated his 
body; he feeds and takes 
care of it. That is just 
what Christ does for the 
Church, {I}30_{/}because 
we are a part of his 
body.
{I}31_{/}Scripture says: 
Because of this a man 
shall leave his father 
and mother to be united 
with his wife, and the 
two shall become one 
flesh. {I}32_{/}This is a 
very great mystery, and I 
refer to Christ and the 
Church. {I}33_{/}As for 
you, let each one love 
his wife as himself, and 
let the wife respect her 
husband.
CHILDREN, PARENTS, 
SERVANTS AND MASTERS{/}

{1}6{/}

{I}1_{/}Children, obey 
your parents for this is 
right: {I}2_{/}Honor your 
father and your mother. 
And this is the first 
commandment that has 
promise: {I}3_{/}that you 
may be happy and enjoy 
long life in the land. 
{I}4_{/}And you, fathers, 
do not make rebels of 
your children, but 
educate them by 
correction and 
instruction which the 
Lord may inspire.
{I}5_{/}Servants, obey 
your masters of this 
world with fear and 
respect, with simplicity 
of heart, as if obeying 
Christ. {I}6_{/}Do not 
serve only when you are 
watched or in order to 
please others, but become 
servants of Christ who do 
God's will with all your 
heart. {I}7{/}Work 
willingly, for the Lord 
and not for humans, 
mindful that the good 
each one has done, 
{I}8_{/}whether servant 
or free, will be rewarded 
by the Lord.
{I}9_{/}And you, masters, 
deal with your servants 
in the same way, and do 
not threaten them, since 
you know that they and 
you have the same Lord 
who is in heaven, and he 
treats all fairly.
BE STRONG IN THE LORD{/}

{I}10_{/}Finally, be 
strong in the Lord with 
his energy and strength. 
{I}11_{/}Put on the whole 
armor of God to be able 
to resist the cunning of 
the devil. {I}12_{/}Our 
battle is not against 
human forces but against 
the rulers and 
authorities and their 
dark powers that govern 
this world. We are 
struggling against the 
spirits and supernatural 
forces of evil.
{I}13_{/}Therefore put on 
the whole armor of God, 
that in the evil day, you 
may resist and stand your 
ground, making use of all 
your weapons. 
{I}14_{/}Take truth as 
your belt, justice as 
your breastplate, 
{I}15_{/}and zeal as your 
shoes to propagate the 
Gospel of peace. 
{I}16_{/}Always hold in 
your hand the shield of 
faith to repel the 
flaming arrows of the 
devil. {I}17_{/}Finally, 
use the helmet of 
salvation and the sword 
of the Spirit, that is, 
the Word of God.
{I}18_{/}Pray at all 
times as the Spirit 
inspires you. Keep watch, 
together with sustained 
prayer and supplication 
for all the holy ones. 
{I}19_{/}Pray also for 
me, so that when I speak, 
I may be given words to 
proclaim bravely the 
mystery of the Gospel. 
{I}20_{/}Even when in 
chains I am an ambassador 
of God; may he give me 
the strength to speak as 
I should.
{I}21_{/}I also want you 
to know how I am and what 
I am doing. Tychicus, our 
beloved brother and 
faithful minister in the 
Lord, will tell you 
everything. {I}22_{/}I am 
sending him precisely to 
give you news of us and 
comfort you all.
{I}23_{/}May peace and 
love with faith from God 
the Father and from 
Christ Jesus the Lord, be 
with the brothers and 
sisters. {I}24_{/}And may 
his blessing be with all 
who love Christ Jesus, 
our Lord, with undying 
love.

