1 P aul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through 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 brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to 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 W e give thanks to God the 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 h aving heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all the saints,

since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;

5 b ecause of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News,

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 has come to you; even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard 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 e ven as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

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 to us your love in the Spirit.

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

9 F or this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and 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 you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing 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 power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;

strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

12 g iving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of 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 delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;

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 our redemption, the forgiveness of our 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 all creation.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16 F or by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for 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 H e is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

18 H e is the head of the body, the assembly, 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 all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,

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

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 Y ou, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds,

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

22 y et now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,

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

23 i f it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

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 N ow 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 assembly;

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 was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill 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 t he mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed 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 was pleased 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;

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 proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man 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 f or which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

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