Colossians 1
1 I, Paul, [am writing this letter to you], and our fellow believer Timothy [is with me]. I am an apostle who represents Christ Jesus, because that is what God wanted.
Paul apostle Christ Jesus through/because of will/desire God and Timothy the/this/who brother
2 [I am sending this letter] to you who are in Colossae [city], and who are God’s people, and our faithful fellow believers who have a close relationship with Christ. We pray that God our Father will be acting kindly towards you, and that he will cause you to have [inner] peace.
the/this/who in/on/among Colossae holy: saint and faithful brother in/on/among Christ grace you and peace away from God father me (and lord: God Jesus Christ *K*)
3 Very often [HYP] we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, while we are praying for you,
to thank the/this/who God (and *ko*) father the/this/who lord: God me Jesus Christ always (about *NK(o)*) you to pray
4 because we have heard that you believe in Christ Jesus, and that you love all God’s people.
to hear the/this/who faith you in/on/among Christ Jesus and the/this/who love (which *N(k)O*) (to have/be *no*) toward all the/this/who holy: saint
5 You do that because you confidently expect to receive that which God is (reserving/keeping safe) for you in heaven, which you heard about previously when you heard the true message, that is, the message [about Christ].
through/because of the/this/who hope the/this/who to lay up you in/on/among the/this/who heaven which to hear beforehand in/on/among the/this/who word the/this/who truth the/this/who gospel
6 [People] proclaimed it [PRS] to you, just like [people] have proclaimed it in many different countries [HYP, IDM]. The true message is changing more and more people’s lives, just like it changed your lives because you heard it and you truly experienced that God acts kindly towards us in ways we do not deserve.
the/this/who be present toward you as/just as and in/on/among all the/this/who world (and *k*) to be to bear fruit (and to grow *NO*) as/just as and in/on/among you away from which day to hear and to come to know the/this/who grace the/this/who God in/on/among truth
7 That is just what Epaphras taught you [would happen]. We love Epaphras. He serves Christ together with us and works for Christ faithfully for your benefit.
as/just as (and *k*) to learn away from Epaphras the/this/who beloved fellow slave me which to be faithful above/for (you *NK(O)*) servant the/this/who Christ
8 He told us that you love [all God’s people], just like God’s Spirit [has enabled you to] (OR, spiritually).
the/this/who and to make clear me the/this/who you love in/on/among spirit/breath: spirit
9 Because of what we heard about you, we have also been praying [LIT] very often to God for you [HYP], ever since we heard this report about you. We pray that you will truly know all that God wants you to do; that is, that you will become very wise, and that you will understand spiritual matters well.
through/because of this/he/she/it and me away from which day to hear no to cease above/for you to pray and to ask in order that/to to fulfill the/this/who knowledge the/this/who will/desire it/s/he in/on/among all wisdom and understanding spiritual
10 We have been praying like that in order that you will conduct yourselves as the Lord’s people should conduct themselves, in order that you will please the Lord in every way. Specifically, we have been praying like that in order that you will be doing every sort of good deed [IDM] and in order that you will be getting to know God truly, more and more.
to walk (you *k*) appropriately the/this/who lord: God toward all pleasing in/on/among all work good to bear fruit and to grow (toward *k*) (the/this/who knowledge *N(k)O*) the/this/who God
11 And we pray that [God] will greatly strengthen you [spiritually] with the mighty power that he has shown [to people], in order that you will always be steadfast and patient [when you experience difficulties], while [at the same time] you will be rejoicing.
in/on/among all power to empower according to the/this/who power the/this/who glory it/s/he toward all perseverance and patience with/after joy
12 And we pray that you will be thanking God our Father, because he has enabled you/us to receive the things that he will give to his people in heaven [SYN].
to thank the/this/who father the/this/who to qualify (you *N(K)O*) toward the/this/who part the/this/who lot the/this/who holy: saint in/on/among the/this/who light
13 God our Father rescued us [spiritually] so that the evil one no longer rules us [MET, MTY], and he caused us now to be ruled by his Son, whom he loves.
which to rescue me out from the/this/who authority the/this/who darkness and to move toward the/this/who kingdom the/this/who son the/this/who love it/s/he
14 That is, because of our relationship with his Son (OR, because of what the one who is also God did), God has redeemed/bought us; in particular, he has forgiven our sins.
in/on/among which to have/be the/this/who redemption (through/because of the/this/who blood it/s/he *K*) the/this/who forgiveness the/this/who sin
15 God’s Son reveals perfectly what God, his Father, is like, whom no one can see. God’s Son existed before and ranks above everything that God has created.
which to be image the/this/who God the/this/who invisible firstborn all creation
16 When God created everything that is on the earth, he did it by having his Son do it. He created everything that [people] can see, and also everything which is in heaven that [people] cannot see. In particular, his Son created all ranks of important spirit beings. [And his Son ranks above everything], because God by the work of had his Son, and because by his Son all things were created {because [God] had his Son create everything} in order that everything might praise his Son,
that/since: since in/on/among it/s/he to create the/this/who all (the/this/who *k*) in/on/among the/this/who heaven and (the/this/who *ko*) upon/to/against the/this/who earth: planet the/this/who visible and the/this/who invisible whether throne whether lordship whether beginning whether authority the/this/who all through/because of it/s/he and toward it/s/he to create
17 and because it is his Son who existed before anything else existed, and because God sustains everything by what his Son [does].
and it/s/he to be before all and the/this/who all in/on/among it/s/he to commend
18 And [God’s Son ranks above everything], because it is his Son who [rules over his people] [MET] [as a person’s] head [controls his physical] body, because his Son causes his people to live [spiritually]. [God’s Son] is the first one who became alive again, in order that he should become more important than anything and everyone.
and it/s/he to be the/this/who head the/this/who body the/this/who assembly which to be (the/this/who *o*) beginning firstborn out from the/this/who dead in order that/to to be in/on/among all it/s/he be first
19 [God’s Son reveals perfectly what God his Father is like], because his Father chose to live completely in him.
that/since: since in/on/among it/s/he to delight all the/this/who fulfillment to dwell
20 [God our Father caused his Son to rule us], because he decided to reconcile with himself everything that is on earth and that is in heaven by what his Son did, in order that everything might honor his Son; that is, God our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself as a result of his [Son’s] blood [flowing when he died] on the cross. [The chiastic material is rearranged below so that the directly related propositional clusters are joined together.] 13 God our Father rescued us [spiritually] so that we are no longer ruled by the evil one, and God our Father caused us now to be ruled by his Son (OR, the man who is also God) whom he loves. 14a That is, by means of what his Son did, we have been redeemed by God, our Father. 14b In particular, our sins have been forgiven by God, our Father. 20 God, our Father, has done this because he decided to reconcile to himself, by means of his Son, everything that is on earth and that is in heaven, in order that his Son might be honored; that is, God, our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself by means of God’s Son’s blood [flowing out when he died] on the cross. 15b God cannot be seen by anyone, 15a but his Son reveals perfectly what God—his Father—is like, 19a because it is in his Son that the Father chose 19b that he himself would dwell completely. 15c God’s Son ranks above everything 15d that has been created, 16 because it was by means of God’s Son that God created everything that is on the earth and that can be seen by people, and also everything that is in heaven and that cannot be seen by people. In particular, all types of important spirit beings were created by means of him, since everything has been created by God by means of God’s Son. And his Son ranks above everything, because everything has been created by God, in order that God’s Son might be honored by everything, 17 and because it is he who existed before anything else existed, and since everything is sustained by God by means of God’s Son. 18 And God’s Son ranks above everything because it is he who [rules over all believers, just like a person’s] head [controls his physical body, because he causes all believers to live spiritually]. His Son is the first one who rose from among those who have died, in order that he should become more important than everything and everyone.
and through/because of it/s/he to reconcile the/this/who all toward it/s/he to make peace through/because of the/this/who blood the/this/who cross it/s/he through/because of it/s/he whether the/this/who upon/to/against the/this/who earth: planet whether the/this/who (in/on/among *NK(o)*) the/this/who heaven
21 As for you, [although] formerly God [considered you his] enemies (OR, [God considered you] as alienated [from him]) and [although] you were formerly hostile [to God] because you thought evil thoughts and because you did evil deeds,
and you once/when to be to alienate and enemy the/this/who mind in/on/among the/this/who work the/this/who evil/bad now then (to reconcile *NK(O)*)
22 nevertheless, God our Father has now reconciled you [with himself. He did that] as a result of his Son dying physically. He did it in order that you should be completely holy when he brings you into his presence.
in/on/among the/this/who body the/this/who flesh it/s/he through/because of the/this/who death to stand by you holy and blameless and irreproachable before it/s/he
23 He wants you to continue [DOU] to believe the message about Christ; specifically, he wants you to continue to be stable/steadfast and to continue to confidently expect to receive that which you heard about when you heard that message. That message has been proclaimed {They have proclaimed that message} to people in very many places [HYP]; and I, Paul, also become someone who tells it to people.
if indeed to remain/keep on the/this/who faith to found and steadfast and not to shift away from the/this/who hope the/this/who gospel which to hear the/this/who to preach in/on/among all (the/this/who *k*) creation the/this/who by/under: under the/this/who heaven which to be I/we Paul servant
24 At the present time I am rejoicing that I am suffering for your benefit; that is, I am completing what Christ [decided] that I should suffer physically for the benefit of all believers, [who are as dear to him as] his own body.
now to rejoice in/on/among the/this/who suffering (me *k*) above/for you and to fill again the/this/who deficiency the/this/who pressure the/this/who Christ in/on/among the/this/who flesh me above/for the/this/who body it/s/he which to be the/this/who assembly
25 I myself became someone who serves God’s people, because I was appointed {[God] appointed me} to be responsible to [help] you [who are non-Jews]. I became one who serves God’s people in order that I should make known to you non-Jews the whole message from/about God.
which to be I/we servant according to the/this/who management the/this/who God the/this/who to give me toward you to fulfill the/this/who word the/this/who God
26 [We did not know this message previously; that is, God] concealed it from [the people who lived in all] the previous ages, but he has now revealed it to his people. (aiōn g165)
the/this/who mystery the/this/who to conceal away from the/this/who an age: age and away from the/this/who generation (now *N(k)O*) then to reveal the/this/who holy: saint it/s/he (aiōn g165)
27 That is, God decided to reveal to them this message, which declares that he will greatly bless the non-Jews. Specifically, this message declares that Christ, [by his Spirit], will live in you who are non-Jews, with the result that you confidently expect that you will experience how glorious [God is].
which to will/desire the/this/who God to make known (which? the/this/who *N(k)O*) riches the/this/who glory the/this/who mystery this/he/she/it in/on/among the/this/who Gentiles (which *N(k)O*) to be Christ in/on/among you the/this/who hope the/this/who glory
28 We tell about Christ [to every class of persons]; we warn them, and specifically, we teach everyone very wisely. We do this in order that every person who (has a close relationship with/is united to) Christ may be (all that God wants them to be/perfect) when we present them to Christ.
which me to proclaim to admonish all a human and to teach all a human in/on/among all wisdom in order that/to to stand by all a human perfect in/on/among Christ (Jesus *K*)
29 In order that I might [achieve/accomplish this], I am also working very hard, depending on Christ to empowering me very greatly.
toward which and to labor to struggle according to the/this/who active energy it/s/he the/this/who be active in/on/among I/we in/on/among power
