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

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by 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 who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Their Faith in Christ

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

We give thanks to the God and 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,

since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for 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 heaven, of which you 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 has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you 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,

as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

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

who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. Preeminence of Christ

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 reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual 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,

that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful 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 might, according to His glorious power, for 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 to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

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

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed 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 redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

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

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over 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 by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for 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 may have the preeminence. Reconciled in Christ

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

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should 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 by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

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, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled

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

in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—

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 indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. Sacrificial Service for Christ

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,

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, 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,

of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill 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,

the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed 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 them God willed to make known what are 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,

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

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

To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.