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 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 faithful brethren in Christ [which are] 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 thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

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 toward 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 which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

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 is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as [it doth] in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace 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 of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

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

who also declared unto 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 cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

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,

to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing 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

strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and longsuffering 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, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance 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 delivered us out of the power of 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 forgiveness of our sins:

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

who is the image of the invisible God, the 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.

for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;

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

and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.

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: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

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

For it was the good pleasure [of the Father] that in him should all the fulness 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 to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, [I say], whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.

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

And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath he 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 the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable 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 so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a 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 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 church;

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

whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfill the word of God,

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

[even] the mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested 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 make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery 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 proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

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

whereunto I labour also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.