Colossians 1

1 Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus, by God's will, and Timotheus the brother,

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

2 to the holy and faithful brethren in Christ which [are] in Colosse. Grace to you and peace from God our Father [and Lord Jesus Christ].

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

3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ continually [when] praying for you,

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

4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which ye have towards all the saints,

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

5 on account of the hope which [is] laid up for you in the heavens; of which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the glad tidings,

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

6 which are come to you, as [they are] in all the world, [and] are bearing fruit and growing, even as also among you, from the day ye heard [them] and knew indeed the grace of God, in truth:

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.

7 even as ye learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-bondman, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you,

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

8 who has also manifested to us your love in [the] Spirit.

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

9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard [of your faith and love], do not cease praying and asking for you, to the end that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

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,

10 [so as] to walk worthily of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing by the true knowledge of God;

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,

11 strengthened with all power according to the might of his glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy;

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

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for sharing the portion of the saints in light,

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

13 who has delivered us from the authority of darkness, and translated [us] into the kingdom of the Son of his love:

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

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

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15 who is image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation;

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

16 because by him were created all things, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or authorities: all things have been created by him and for him.

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.

17 And he is before all, and all things subsist together by him.

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

18 And he is the head of the body, the assembly; who is [the] beginning, firstborn from among the dead, that he might have the first place in all things:

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.

19 for in him all the fulness [of the Godhead] was pleased to dwell,

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

20 and by him to reconcile all things to itself, having made peace by the blood of his cross — by him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.

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.

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

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

22 in the body of his flesh through death; to present you holy and unblamable and irreproachable before it,

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

23 if indeed ye abide in the faith founded and firm, and not moved away from the hope of the glad tidings, which ye have heard, which have been proclaimed in the whole creation which [is] under heaven, of which I Paul became minister.

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.

24 Now, I rejoice in sufferings for you, and I fill up that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh, for his body, which is the assembly;

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.

25 of which I became minister, according to the dispensation of God which [is] given me towards you to complete the word of God,

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

26 the mystery which [has been] hidden from ages and from generations, but has now been made manifest to his saints; (aiōn g165)

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

27 to whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you the hope of glory:

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.

28 whom we announce, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, to the end that we may present every man perfect in Christ.

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

29 Whereunto also I toil, combating according to his working, which works in me in power.

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