At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. He spilled his blood for you. This has brought you near to God.

你们从前远离神的人，如今却在基督耶稣里，靠着他的血，已经得亲近了。

从前你们是远离上帝的人，如今却在基督耶稣里，靠着他的血，已经得以亲近了。

从前你们是远离神的人，如今却在基督耶稣里，靠着他的血，已经得以亲近了。

但你们这些从前远离上帝的人，如今在基督耶稣里，靠着祂所流的血已经被带到上帝面前。

你们从前远离的人，现今在基督耶稣里，靠着他的血已经可以亲近了。

但如今，在基督耶稣里，你们这些从前在远处的人，藉着基督的血，已经被带到近处了。

你們從前遠離神的人，如今卻在基督耶穌裏，靠着他的血，已經得親近了。

從前你們是遠離上帝的人，如今卻在基督耶穌裏，靠着他的血，已經得以親近了。

從前你們是遠離神的人，如今卻在基督耶穌裏，靠着他的血，已經得以親近了。

但你們這些從前遠離上帝的人，如今在基督耶穌裡，靠著祂所流的血已經被帶到上帝面前。

你們從前遠離的人，現今在基督耶穌裡，靠著他的血已經可以親近了。

但如今在基督耶穌裏呢、你們從前遠的、卻因着基督的血已成為近的了。

但如今，在基督耶穌裡，你們這些從前在遠處的人，藉著基督的血，已經被帶到近處了。

今則於基督耶穌、爾素為遠者、以基督血得近、

今則宗基督耶穌、爾曩遠離之者、覺賴其血而得近矣、

今因基督耶穌、爾素為遠者、賴基督之血得近矣、

今則不然、爾托耶穌基督之恩、藉其聖血、已得化疏為親矣。

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

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

But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

The promise is for you and your children. It is also for all who are far away. It is for all whom the Lord our God will choose.”

God was pleased to bring all things back to himself. That’s because of what Christ has done. These things include everything on earth and in heaven. God made peace through Christ’s blood, by his death on the cross.At one time you were separated from God. You were enemies in your minds because of your evil ways.But because Christ died, God has brought you back to himself. Christ’s death has made you holy in God’s sight. So now you don’t have any flaw. You are free from blame.

Then they will praise me. I will give perfect peace to those who are far away and those who are near. And I will heal them,” says the Lord.

to open their eyes. I want you to turn them from darkness to light. I want you to turn them from Satan’s power to God. I want their sins to be forgiven. They will be forgiven when they believe in me. They will have their place among God’s people.’

So you are no longer outsiders and strangers. You are citizens together with God’s people. You are also members of God’s family.You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in the building.The whole building is held together by him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord.And because you belong to him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through his Spirit.

He has saved us from the kingdom of darkness. He has brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.Because of what the Son has done, we have been set free. Because of him, all our sins have been forgiven.

I will say to the north,‘ Let them go!’ And I will say to the south,‘ Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from far away. Bring my daughters from the farthest places on earth.

Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God’s glory.The free gift of God’s grace makes us right with him. Christ Jesus paid the price to set us free.God gave Christ as a sacrifice to pay for sins through the spilling of his blood. So God forgives the sins of those who have faith. God did all this to prove that he does what is right. He is a God of mercy. So he did not punish for their sins the people who lived before Jesus lived.God did all this to prove in our own time that he does what is right. He also makes right with himself those who believe in Jesus.So who can brag? No one! Are people saved by the law that requires them to obey? Not at all! They are saved because of the law that requires faith.We firmly believe that a person is made right with God because of their faith. They are not saved by obeying the law.Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of Gentiles? Yes, he is their God too.There is only one God. When those who are circumcised believe in him, he makes them right with himself. Suppose those who are not circumcised believe in him. Then God also will make them right with himself.

He planned to bring both Jews and Gentiles back to God as one body. He planned to do this through the cross. On that cross, Christ put to death their hatred toward one another.He came and preached peace to you who were far away. He also preached peace to those who were near.

The mystery was not made known to people of other times. But now the Holy Spirit has made this mystery known to God’s holy apostles and prophets.Here is the mystery. Because of the good news, God’s promises are for Gentiles as well as for Jews. Both groups are parts of one body. They share in the promise. It belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus.I now serve the good news because God gave me his grace. His power is at work in me.I am by far the least important of all the Lord’s holy people. But he gave me the grace to preach to the Gentiles about the unlimited riches that Christ gives.

Here is the new song they sang.“ You are worthy to take the scroll and break open its seals. You are worthy because you were put to death. With your blood you bought people for God. They come from every tribe, people and nation, no matter what language they speak.

Before you believed in Christ, you were separated from him. You were not considered to be citizens of Israel. You were not included in what the covenants promised. You were without hope and without God in the world.

When anyone lives in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone! The new is here!

Some of you used to do those things. But your sins were washed away. You were made holy. You were made right with God. All of this was done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was also done by the Spirit of our God.

We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Because he bled and died our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God’s grace is so rich.

All those who see me laugh at me. They shout at me and make fun of me. They shake their heads at me.

So we are Christ’s official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God!Christ didn’t have any sin. But God made him become sin for us. So we can be made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.

Simon Peter has explained to us what God has now done. He has chosen some of the Gentiles to be among his very own people.

Christ also suffered once for sins. The one who did what is right suffered for those who don’t do right. He suffered to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought him back to life.

The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God’s anger.Once we were God’s enemies. But we have been brought back to him because his Son has died for us. Now that God has brought us back, we are even more secure. We know that we will be saved because Christ lives.

Lord, you give me strength. You are like a fort to me. When I’m in trouble, I go to you for safety. The nations will come to you from one end of the earth to the other. They will gather together and say,“ Our people of long ago didn’t own anything except statues of gods. The statues were worthless. They didn’t do them any good.

I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews. He teaches us that God is true. He shows us that God will keep the promises he made to the founders of our nation.Jesus became a servant of the Jews. He did this so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercy. It is written,“ I will praise you among the Gentiles. I will sing the praises of your name.”( 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49)Again it says,“ You Gentiles, be full of joy. Be joyful together with God’s people.”( Deuteronomy 32:43)And again it says,“ All you Gentiles, praise the Lord. Let all the nations sing praises to him.”( Psalm 117:1)And Isaiah says,“ The Root of Jesse will grow up quickly. He will rule over the nations. The Gentiles will put their hope in him.”( Isaiah 11:10)

There is no Jew or Gentile. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. That’s because you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Those who don’t want anything to do with you will die. You destroy all those who aren’t faithful to you.

People from the islands are coming to me. The ships of Tarshish are out in front. They are bringing your children back from far away. Your children are bringing their silver and gold with them. They are coming to honor me. I am the Lord your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have honored you.

So give glory to him, you who live in the east. Honor the name of the Lord, you who are in the islands of the sea. He is the God of Israel.From one end of the earth to the other we hear singing. People are saying,“ Give glory to the God who always does what is right.” But I said,“ I feel very bad. I’m getting weaker and weaker. How terrible it is for me! People turn against one another. They can’t be trusted. So they turn against one another.”

“ Look up. Look all around you. All your people are getting together to come back to you. Your sons will come from far away. Your daughters will be carried on the hip like little children.

At that time, here is what the man who is called the Root of Jesse will do. He will be like a banner that brings nations together. They will come to him. And the place where he rules will be glorious.

They will come from far away. Some of them will come from the north. Others will come from the west. Still others will come from Aswan in the south.”

Because of what God has done, you belong to Christ Jesus. He has become God’s wisdom for us. He makes us right with God. He makes us holy and sets us free.

That’s why even the first covenant was not put into effect without the spilling of blood.

“ I will give them a sign. I will send to the nations some of those who are left alive. I will send some of them to the people of Tarshish, Libya and Lydia, who are famous for using bows. I will send others to Tubal and Greece. And I will send still others to islands far away. The people who live there have not heard about my fame. They have not seen my glory. But when I act, those I send will tell the nations about my glory.

“ Then the Lord said to me,‘ Go. I will send you far away to people who are not Jews.’ ”

Those who belong to Christ Jesus are no longer under God’s judgment.

You were set free from an empty way of life. This way of life was handed down to you by your own people of long ago. You know that you were not bought with things that can pass away, like silver or gold.Instead, you were bought with the priceless blood of Christ. He is a perfect lamb. He doesn’t have any flaws at all.