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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Ephesians 2:9

You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Atonement;   Boasting;   Grace of God;   Salvation;   Works;   Thompson Chain Reference - Good;   Work, Religious;   Work-Workers, Religious;   Works;   Works, Good;   The Topic Concordance - Faith/faithfulness;   Giving and Gifts;   Grace;   Newness;   Ordination;   Salvation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Righteousness;   Salvation;   Works, Good;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Justificiation;   Regeneration;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Boasting;   Covenant;   Election;   Ethics;   Faith;   Good works;   Goodness;   Predestination;   Reward;   Righteousness;   Sacrifice;   Salvation;   Sin;   Work;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Boasting;   Grace;   Law;   Legalism;   Reward;   Salvation;   Sexuality, Human;   Timothy, First and Second, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Atonement;   Calvinists;   Covenant;   Justification;   Legalist;   Man;   Mercy of God;   Merit;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Justification;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Antinomianism;   Ephesians, Book of;   Faith;   Jews in the New Testament;   Law, Ten Commandments, Torah;   Life;   Salvation;   Works;   1 Peter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Sin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Boasting;   Children of God;   Ephesians Epistle to the;   Mercy;   Pre-Eminence ;   Saviour (2);   Sin;   Trust;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Boast;   Election;   Ephesians, Epistle to the;   James, Epistle of;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for November 28;   Every Day Light - Devotion for December 6;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
not from works, so that no one can boast.
King James Version (1611)
Not of workes, lest any man should boast.
King James Version
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
English Standard Version
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
New American Standard Bible
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
New Century Version
It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Legacy Standard Bible
not of works, so that no one may boast.
Berean Standard Bible
not by works, so that no one can boast.
Contemporary English Version
It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.
Complete Jewish Bible
You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast.
Darby Translation
not on the principle of works, that no one might boast.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Not of workes, least any man should boast himselfe.
George Lamsa Translation
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Lexham English Bible
it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
Literal Translation
not of works, that not anyone should boast;
Amplified Bible
not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].
American Standard Version
not of works, that no man should glory.
Bible in Basic English
Not by works, so that no man may take glory to himself.
Hebrew Names Version
not of works, that no one would boast.
International Standard Version
and not the result of works, lest anyone boast.Romans 3:20,27-28; 4:2; 9:11; 11:6; 1 Corinthians 1:29-31; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
not of works, that no man should glory.
Murdock Translation
not of works, lest any one glory.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Not of workes, lest any man shoulde boast hym selfe.
English Revised Version
not of works, that no man should glory.
World English Bible
not of works, that no one would boast.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Weymouth's New Testament
so that it may be impossible for any one to boast.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
not of werkis, that no man haue glorie.
Update Bible Version
not of works, that no man should boast.
Webster's Bible Translation
Not by works, lest any man should boast.
New English Translation
it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
New King James Version
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
New Living Translation
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
New Life Bible
It is not given to you because you worked for it. If you could work for it, you would be proud.
New Revised Standard
not the result of works, so that no one may boast.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Not from works, lest anyone should boast.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Not of works, that no man may glory.
Revised Standard Version
not because of works, lest any man should boast.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and commeth not of workes lest eny man shuld bost him silfe.
Young's Literal Translation
not of works, that no one may boast;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
not of workes, lest eny ma shulde boast him selfe.
Mace New Testament (1729)
it is the gift of God) but not by works, so that no man can boast:
Simplified Cowboy Version
No matter how tough you think you are, you can't save your own hide. You can't toot your own horn about something you can't do on your own.

Contextual Overview

4 But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God's grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace. 8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Romans 3:20, Romans 3:27, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:2, Romans 9:11, Romans 9:16, Romans 11:6, 1 Corinthians 1:29-31, 2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 3:3-5

Reciprocal: Numbers 23:4 - I have prepared Judges 7:2 - Israel Luke 18:12 - fast John 6:65 - that no 2 Corinthians 4:7 - that Titus 3:5 - by works

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East, in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden.
Genesis 2:9
Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.
Genesis 2:17
But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!"
Genesis 3:3
But there is one tree we must not eat from. God told us, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch that tree, or you will die.'"
Deuteronomy 6:25
If we carefully obey the whole law, exactly as the Lord our God told us to, he will say that we have done a very good thing.'
Proverbs 3:18
Wisdom is like a life-giving tree to those who hold on to her; she is a blessing to those who keep her close.
Proverbs 11:30
What good people produce is like a life-giving tree. Those who are wise give new life to others.
Isaiah 44:25
False prophets tell lies, but the Lord shows that their lies are false. He makes fools of those who do magic. He confuses even the wise. They think they know a lot, but he makes them look foolish.
Isaiah 47:10
You do bad things but still feel safe. You say to yourself, ‘No one sees the wrong I do.' You thought that your wisdom and knowledge would save you. You tell yourself, ‘I alone am important, and no one else matters.'
Ezekiel 31:16
I made the tree fall—and the nations shook with fear at the sound of the falling tree. I sent the tree down to the place of death to join the other people who had gone down into that deep hole. In the past, all the trees of Eden, the best of Lebanon, drank that water. The trees were comforted in the world below.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Not of works,.... Of any kind, moral or ceremonial, before or after conversion, done without faith or in it, nor of these in any sense; works are neither the moving causes, nor the procuring causes, nor the helping causes, nor "causa sine qua non", or conditions of salvation; the best works that are done by men, are not done of themselves, but by the grace of God, and therefore can never merit at his hand: and salvation is put upon such a foot,

lest any man should boast; of his works before God, and unto men; wherefore he has denied works any place in justification and salvation, in order to exclude all boasting in man; and has fixed it in a way of grace, and has chosen and called poor sinful worthless creatures to enjoy it, that whoever glories, may glory in the Lord.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Not of works - see the notes at Romans 3:20, Romans 3:27.


 
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