1 ¶ Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 t o the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 ¶ We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you

We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 s ince we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the charity which ye have toward all the saints,

having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints,

5 f or the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which ye have already heard by the word of the truth of the gospel,

because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

6 w hich is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and brings forth fruit, as it does also in you, since the day ye heard it and knew the grace of God in truth,

which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as it doth in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

7 a s ye also learned of Epaphras, our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ,

even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

8 w ho also declared unto us your charity in the Spirit.

who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

9 ¶ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, asking that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10 t hat ye might walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing him in everything, being fruitful in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God,

to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 s trengthened with all might, according to the power of his glory unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness,

strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy;

12 ¶ giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us worthy to participate in the inheritance of the saints in light,

giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;

13 w ho has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son,

who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;

14 i n whom we have redemption through his blood, even the remission of sins,

in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:

15 w ho is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature;

who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;

16 f or by him were all things created, that are in the heavens and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones or dominions or principalities or powers: all things were created by him and in him;

for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;

17 A nd he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.

18 A nd he is the head of the body, the congregation, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19 F or it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell

For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell;

20 a nd by him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, whether they are the things in the earth or the things in the heavens.

and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.

21 A nd you, that were in another time alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled you

And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,

22 i n the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight

yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:

23 i f ye continue in the faith grounded and settled and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard and which is preached to every creature which is under heaven, of which I Paul am made a minister,

if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.

24 w ho now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fulfill in my flesh that which is lacking of the tribulations of the Christ for his body’s sake, which is the congregation,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church;

25 o f which I am made a minister by the dispensation of God which is given to me in you, to fulfil the word of God,

whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,

26 e ven the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints,

even the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

27 t o whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery in the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,

to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28 w hom we preach, warning every man and teaching in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,

whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

29 i n which I continue to labour, contending according to his operation, which he works in me mightily.

whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.