Colossians 1

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

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

2 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father.

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

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

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

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

having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward 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 gospel,

because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of truth, the Good News,

6 which is come to you, as it is in all the world, and is bearing fruit and growing, as it doth also in you, from the day ye heard it, and knew the grace of God in truth;

which has come to you; even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

7 even as ye learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf;

even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

8 who also brought to our knowledge your love in the Spirit.

who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

9 On this account we also, from the day we heard of it, cease not to pray for you, and to ask that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, do not cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10 that ye may walk worthily of the Lord so as to please him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 endued with all power according to the might of his glory unto all patience and long-suffering with joy;

strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;

12 giving thanks to the Father, who enabled us to share in the inheritance of the saints 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 from the empire of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son;

who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;

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

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

15 who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of the whole creation;

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

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

For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created by him and for him.

17 and he is before all things, and in him all things subsist.

He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church; since he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that he may be in all things pre-eminent;

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 that in him all the fullness should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself,

For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,

20 having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him, I say, whether the things on earth, or those in the heavens.

and through him to reconcile all things to himself, making peace through the blood of his cross through him, whether things on the earth or things in heaven.

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

You, who once were alienated and were hostile in your minds, doing evil deeds,

22 in the body of his flesh through his death, to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable in his sight;

yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and blameless before him,

23 if ye indeed continue in the faith grounded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye heard, which hath been preached in the whole creation under heaven; of which I Paul became a minister.

if it is so that you continue in the faith, established and firm, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up instead that which is wanting of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh on behalf of his body, which is the church;

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the church;

25 of which I became a minister, according to the stewardship which God entrusted to me, for you, to fulfill the word of God,

of which I was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill the word of God,

26 the mystery which hath been hidden for ages and generations, but hath been now revealed to his saints; (aiōn g165)

the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints. (aiōn g165)

27 to whom it was the will of God 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;

To them God was pleased to make known the glorious riches of this mystery among the non-Jews, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;

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

whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ Jesus;

29 to which end I also am laboring, striving earnestly through his working, which worketh within me mightily.

for which I also labor, struggling according to his power, which works in me mightily.