Colossians 1

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

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

2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Unto the holy and faithful brethren in Christ that are, in Colosse, favour unto you, and peace, from our God and Father.

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

We are giving thanks unto God, the Father of our Lord Jesus [Christ], always, for you, offering prayer, —

4 because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—

Having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which ye have unto all the saints, —

5 the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel

Because of the hope that is lying by for you in the heavens, of which ye heard before, in the word of the truth of the glad-message,

6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.

When it presented itself unto you; even as, in all the world also, it is bearing fruit and growing, even as also among you, from the day when ye heard, and came personally to know the favour of God in truth,

7 You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

Even as ye learned [it] from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is faithful in our behalf, as a minister of the Christ,

8 and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

Who also hath made evident unto us your love in spirit.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

For this cause, we also, from the day when we heard [of you], cease not, in your behalf, praying and asking—that ye may be filled unto the personal knowledge of his will, in all spiritual wisdom and discernment,

10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

So as to walk worthily of the Lord, unto all pleasing, in every good work, bearing fruit, and growing in the personal knowledge of God,

11 being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully

With all power, being empowered, according to the grasp of his glory, unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy,

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Giving thanks unto the Father that hath made you sufficient for your share in the inheritance of the saints in the light,

13 He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,

Who hath rescued us out of the authority of the darkness, and translated [us] into the kingdom of the Son of his love;

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

In whom, we have our redemption—the remission of our sins, —

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Who, is an image of the unseen God, Firstborn of all creation, —

16 For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Because, in him, were created all things in the heavens and upon the earth, the things seen and the things unseen, whether thrones or lordships or principalities or authorities, —they all, through him and for him, have been created,

17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

And, he, is before all, and, they all, in him, hold together;

18 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

And, he, is the head of the body, the assembly, Who is the beginning, Firstborn from among the dead, in order that, he, might become, in all things, himself, pre-eminent; —

19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,

Because, in him, was all the fullness well pleased to dwell,

20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

And, through him, fully to reconcile all things unto him, making peace through the blood of his cross, —[through him]—whether the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens;

21 Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds.

And, you, who at one time were estranged and enemies in your mind in your wicked works, yet, now, hath he fully reconciled,

22 But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—

In his body of flesh, through means of his death, to present you holy and blameless and unaccusable before him, —

23 if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

If, at least, ye are abiding still in the faith, founded and firm, and not to be moved away from the hope of the glad-message which ye have heard, which hath been proclaimed in all creation which is under heaven, —of which, I Paul, have become minister.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.

Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly,

25 I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God,

Of which, I, have become minister—according to the administration of God which hath been given unto me to you-ward, to fill up the word of God,

26 the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints. (aiōn g165)

The sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages and from the generations, but, now, hath been made manifest unto his saints— (aiōn g165)

27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Unto whom God hath been pleased to make known what is the glorious wealth of this sacred secret among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of the glory, —

28 We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

Whom we are declaring, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, in order that we may present every man complete in Christ;

29 To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

Unto which I am even toiling, contending according to his energy which is energising itself in me with power.