Colossians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timotheus the brother,

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

2 to the holy ones in Colossae, and to the faithful brothers in Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the 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, always 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 of the love that [is] to all the holy ones,

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

5 because of the hope that is laid up for you in the heavens, which you heard of beforehand by the word of the truth of the good news,

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 has come to you, as also in all the world, and is bearing fruit, as also in you, from the day in which you heard, and knew 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 as you also learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful servant of the Christ for you,

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

8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

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

9 Because of this, we also, from the day in which we heard, do not cease praying for you, and asking that you 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 to walk worthily of the LORD, pleasing in all, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the 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 in all might being made mighty according to the power of His glory, to all endurance and long-suffering 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 qualified us for the participation of the inheritance of the holy ones in the light,

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

13 who rescued us out of the authority of the 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 the redemption [[through His blood]], the forgiveness of sins,

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15 who is the 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 all things were created in Him, those in the heavens, and those on the earth, those visible, and those invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether principalities, whether authorities; all things have been created through 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 have consisted in 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 a beginning, a firstborn out of the dead, that He might become first in all [things] Himself,

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 because all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Him,

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

20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself—having made peace through the blood of His Cross—through Him, whether the things on the earth, whether 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—once being alienated, and enemies in the mind, in the evil works, yet now He 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 unblemished, and unblameable before Himself,

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 you also remain in the faith, being founded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the good news, which you heard, which was preached in all the creation that [is] under Heaven, of which I, Paul, became a servant.

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 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the 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 a servant according to the dispensation of God, that was given to me for you, to fulfill 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 secret that has been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now was revealed to His holy ones, (aiōn g165)

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

27 to whom God willed to make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations—which is Christ in you, the hope of the 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 proclaim, warning every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,

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

29 for which I also labor, striving according to His working that is working in me in power.

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