1 P aul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timotheus the brother,

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

2 t o the saints in Colossae, and to the faithful brethren in Christ: 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 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying 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 that to 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 that is laid up for you in the heavens, which ye heard of 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 is present to you, as also in all the world, and is bearing fruit, as also in you, from the day in which ye 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 a s ye also learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful ministrant of the 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 did declare to us your love in the Spirit.

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

9 B ecause of this, we also, from the day in which we heard, do not cease praying for you, and asking that ye may be filled with the full 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 o your walking worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, in every good work being fruitful, and increasing to 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 i n all might being made mighty according to the power of His glory, to all endurance and long-suffering 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 did make us meet for the participation of the inheritance of the saints in the 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 did rescue us out of the authority of the darkness, and did translate into the reign 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 the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of the sins,

in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

15 w ho is the image of the invisible God, first-born of all creation,

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

16 b ecause in him were the all things created, those in the heavens, and those upon the earth, those visible, and those invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether principalities, whether authorities; all things through him, and for him, have been created,

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 himself is before all, and the all things in him have consisted.

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

18 A nd himself is the head of the body -- the assembly -- who is a beginning, a first-born out of the dead, that he might become in all -- himself -- first,

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 b ecause in him it did please all the fulness to tabernacle,

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

20 a nd through him to reconcile the all things to himself -- having made peace through the blood of his cross -- through him, whether the things upon the earth, whether 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 -- once being alienated, and enemies in the mind, in the evil works, yet now did he reconcile,

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 the death, to present you holy, and unblemished, and unblameable before himself,

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

23 i f also ye remain in the faith, being founded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the good news, which ye heard, which was preached in all the creation that under the heaven, of which I became -- I Paul -- a ministrant.

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 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, 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 -- I did become a ministrant according to the dispensation of God, that was given to me for 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 t he secret that hath been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now was manifested 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 did will to make known what the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations -- which is Christ in you, the hope of the 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, warning 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 also I labour, striving according to his working that is working in me in power.

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