Waefeso 2
Kutoka kifo na kuingia katika uhai
1 Nyinyi mlikuwa mmekufa kwa sababu ya makosa na dhambi zenu. 2 Wakati ule mliishi kufuatana na mtindo mbaya wa ulimwengu huu, mkawa mnamtii mtawala wa pepo wenye nguvu wa anga, pepo ambao huwatawala sasa watu wasiomtii Mungu. 3 Na hata sisi sote tulikuwa kama wao; tuliishi kufuatana na tamaa zetu za kidunia na kufanya tu mambo yale yaliyoipendeza miili na akili zetu. Kidunia, sisi kama vile pia wao, tulistahili ghadhabu ya Mungu.
4 Lakini Mungu ni mwenye huruma nyingi. Alitupenda kwa mapendo yasiyopimika, 5 hata, ingawa tulikuwa tumekufa kwa sababu ya dhambi, alitufanya hai pamoja na Kristo. Kwa neema ya Mungu nyinyi mmeokolewa. 6 Kwa kuungana na Kristo Yesu, Mungu alitufufua pamoja naye, tukatawale pamoja naye mbinguni. 7 Ndivyo alivyopenda kuonesha kwa watu wa nyakati za baadaye ukuu wa neema yake aliyotujalia kwa ukarimu katika kuungana kwetu na Kristo Yesu. 8 Maana, kwa neema ya Mungu mmekombolewa kwa njia ya imani. Jambo hili si matokeo ya juhudi zenu, bali ni zawadi ya Mungu. 9 Wala halitokani na matendo yenu wenyewe, asije mtu akajivunia kitu. 10 Sisi ni viumbe vyake Mungu, na kwa kuungana na Kristo Yesu, alituumba kwa ajili ya kuishi maisha ya matendo mema aliyotutayarishia tuyatende.
Umoja katika Kristo
11 Nyinyi mlio kwa asili watu wa mataifa mengine – mnaoitwa, “Wasiotahiriwa” na Wayahudi ambao hujiita, “Waliotahiriwa,” (kwa sababu ya kile wanachoifanyia miili yao) – kumbukeni mlivyokuwa zamani. 12 Wakati ule nyinyi mlikuwa bila Kristo; mlikuwa nje ya jamii ya Israeli; mlikuwa wageni na hamkuwa na sehemu katika yale maagano aliyoahidi Mungu. Mlikuwa bila matumaini na kama watu wasiomjua Mungu hapa duniani. 13 Lakini sasa, kwa kuungana na Kristo Yesu, nyinyi ambao hapo awali mlikuwa mbali, mmekaribishwa kwa njia ya damu yake Kristo. 14 Maana Kristo mwenyewe ametuletea amani kwa kuwafanya Wayahudi na watu wa mataifa mengine kuwa jamii moja. Kwa mwili wake yeye mwenyewe aliubomoa ule ukuta uliowatenganisha na kuwafanya maadui. 15 Aliiondoa ile sheria pamoja na amri zake na kanuni zake, ili kutokana na jamii hizo mbili aumbe jamii moja mpya katika umoja naye na hivyo kuleta amani. 16 Kwa mwili wake, Kristo aliuangamiza uadui wao; kwa msalaba wake aliziunganisha jamii hizo kuwa moja na kuzipatanisha na Mungu.
17 Basi, Kristo alikuja akahubiri Habari Njema ya amani kwenu nyinyi watu wa mataifa mengine mliokuwa mbali na Mungu, na pia kwa Wayahudi ambao walikuwa karibu na Mungu. 18 Hivyo, kwa njia yake, sisi sote, Wayahudi na watu wa mataifa mengine, tunaweza kumwendea Baba kwa Roho mmoja.
19 Basi, nyinyi si wageni tena, wala si watu wa nje. Nyinyi ni raia pamoja na watu wa Mungu, na ni watu wa jamaa ya Mungu. 20 Mmejengwa juu ya msingi uliowekwa na mitume na manabii, naye Kristo mwenyewe ndiye jiwe kuu la msingi. 21 Yeye ndiye mwenye kuliunganisha jengo lote na kulikuza hata liwe hekalu takatifu kwa ajili ya Bwana. 22 Katika kuungana naye, nyinyi pia mnajengwa pamoja na wote wengine, muwe makao ya Mungu kwa njia ya Roho wake.
Ephesians 2
1 And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,2 wherein 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;3 among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:--4 but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus:8 for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 not of works, that no man should glory.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.11 Wherefore 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;12 that 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.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,15 having abolished in the 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;16 and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:17 and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh:18 for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father.19 So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,20 being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;21 in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord;22 in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.