Colossians 1

1 PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

PAUL, a legate of Jesus the Messiah by the pleasure of God, and Timothy a brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

to them who are at Colosse, the brethren, holy and believing in Jesus the Messiah: peace be with you, and grace from God our Father.

3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, at all times, and pray for you;

4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

lo, ever since we heard of your faith in Jesus the Messiah, and of your love to all the saints;

5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

because of the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, of which ye heard before in the word of truth of the gospel;

6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

which is announced to you, as also to all the world; and which groweth and yieldeth fruits, as it doth also among you from the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in reality:

7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

as ye learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful minister of the Messiah;

8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

and who hath made known to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Therefore we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray for you; and to ask that ye may be filled with a knowledge of the good pleasure of God, in all wisdom, and in all spiritual understanding;

10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

that ye may walk as is right, and may please God with all good works, and may yield fruits, and grow in the knowledge of God;

11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

and may be strengthened with all strength, according to the greatness of his glory, in all patience and long suffering;

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

and may, with joy, give thanks to God the Father, who hath fitted us for a portion of the inheritance of the saints in light;

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

and hath rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son;

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

by whom we have redemption and remission of sins:

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

who is the likeness of the invisible God, and the first-born of all creatures:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

and by him was created every thing that is in heaven and on earth, all that is seen and all that is unseen, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or sovereignties; every thing was through him, and was created by him:

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

and he was prior to all, and by him every thing exists.

18 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.

And he is the head of the body the church; as he is the head and first-born from among the dead, that he might be the first in all things.

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

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

20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

and by him, to reconcile all things to himself; and through him, he hath pacified, with the blood of his cross, both those on earth and those in heaven.

21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

And also to you, who were before alienated and enemies in your minds, because of your evil deeds,

22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

to you, he hath now given peace, by the body of his flesh, and by his death; that he might establish you in his presence, holy, without blemish, and without offence;

23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

provided ye continue in your faith, your foundation being firm, and ye be not removed from the hope of the gospel; of which ye have heard, that it is proclaimed in all the creation beneath heaven; of which gospel I Paul am a minister.

24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

And I rejoice in the sufferings which are for your sakes; and, in my flesh, I fill up the deficiency in the afflictions of the Messiah, in behalf of his body, which is the church;

25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

of which I am a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me among you, that I should fulfill the word of God,

26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: (aiōn g165)

namely, that mystery, which was hidden for ages and generations, but is now revealed to his saints; (aiōn g165)

27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which mystery is the Messiah; who in you is the hope of our glory;

28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

whom we proclaim, and teach and make known to every man, in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Jesus the Messiah.

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

And for this also, I toil and strive, with the aid of the strength that is imparted to me.