Colossians 1

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

Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the purpose of God, and Timothy our brother,

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

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

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

We give praise to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, making prayer for you at all times,

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

After hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have for 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

Through the hope which is in store for you in heaven; knowledge of which was given to you before in the true word of the good news,

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.

Which has come to you; and which in all the world is giving fruit and increase, as it has done in you from the day when it came to your ears and you had true knowledge of the grace of God;

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

As it was given to you by Epaphras, our well-loved helper, who is a true servant of Christ for us,

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

And who, himself, made clear to us your love in the 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 reason, we, from the day when we had word of it, keep on in prayer for you, that you may be full of the knowledge of his purpose, with all wisdom and experience of the Spirit,

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,

Living uprightly in the approval of the Lord, giving fruit in every good work, and increasing in the 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

Full of strength in the measure of the great power of his glory, so that you may undergo all troubles with joy;

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

Giving praise to the Father who has given us a part in the heritage of the saints in light;

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

Who has made us free from the power of evil and given us a place in the kingdom of the Son of his love;

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

In whom we have our salvation, the forgiveness of sins:

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

Who is the image of the unseen God coming into existence before all living things;

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.

For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and powers; all things were made by him and for him;

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

He is before all things, and in him all things have being.

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 church: the starting point of all things, the first to come again from the dead; so that in all things he might have the chief place.

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

For God in full measure was pleased to be in him;

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.

Through him uniting all things with himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, uniting all things which are on earth or in heaven.

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

And you, who in the past were cut off and at war with God in your minds through evil works, he has now made one

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 the body of his flesh through death, so that you might be holy and without sin and free from all evil 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 you keep yourselves safely based in the faith, not moved from the hope of the good news which came to you, and which was given to every living being under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

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 I have joy in my pain because of you, and in my flesh I undergo whatever is still needed to make the sorrows of Christ complete, for the salvation of his body, the church;

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

Of which I became a servant by the purpose of God which was given to me for you, to give effect to the word of God,

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

The secret which has been kept from all times and generations, but has now been made clear to 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.

To whom God was pleased to give knowledge of the wealth of the glory of this secret among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

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

Whom we are preaching; guiding and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that every man may be complete in Christ;

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

And for this purpose I am working, using all my strength by the help of his power which is working in me strongly.