Colossians 1

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

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

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

to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ who are in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

We always give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you,

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

because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints,

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

the faith and love that spring from the hope that is laid up for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the message of the truth of the gospel

6 Which is come to 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:

that has come to you. This gospel has gone out into all the world, where it is bearing fruit and increasing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.

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

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

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

and who also told us about 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 may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

For this reason, from the day we heard this, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

10 That ye may walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, 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 with every desire to please him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

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

being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience with joy;

12 Giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us qualified to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled us to share in 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 beloved Son:

He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,

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

in whom we have redemption, the remission of sins.

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

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

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

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

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

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 may have the preeminence.

He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in everything he may be preeminent.

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

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

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

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

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

At one time you were alienated from God and hostile in your minds because of your evil works. But now God has reconciled you to himself

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

through the death of Christ in his physical body, in order to bring you into his own presence as holy, unblemished, and above reproach,

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

if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, without shifting away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been preached in all creation under heaven, and of this gospel I, Paul, have become a servant.

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:

I rejoice now in my sufferings for you, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.

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

I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,

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

the mystery that has been hidden for ages and generations but has now been 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 them God resolved to make known how great among the Gentiles are the glorious riches of this mystery, 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 Jesus:

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ Jesus.

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

To this end I labor, striving according to his energy that is powerfully at work within me.