Colossians 1

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

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

2 and Timothy our brother, to the holy and faithful brethren in Christ at Colosse: grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unto the holy and faithful brethren in Christ that are, in Colosse, favour unto you, and peace, from our God and Father.

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

We are giving thanks unto God, the Father of our Lord Jesus [Christ], always, for you, offering prayer, —

4 (having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and your love to all the saints: )

Having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which ye have unto 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 truth, that is the gospel;

Because of the hope that is lying by for you in the heavens, of which ye heard before, in the word of the truth of the glad-message,

6 which is come unto you, even as in all the world, and is fruitful; as it hath been also among you, from the day in which ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth.

When it presented itself unto you; even as, in all the world also, it is bearing fruit and growing, even as also among you, from the day when ye heard, and came personally to know the favour of God in truth,

7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you;

Even as ye learned [it] from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is faithful in our behalf, as a minister of the Christ,

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

Who also hath made evident unto us your love in spirit.

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

For this cause, we also, from the day when we heard [of you], cease not, in your behalf, praying and asking—that ye may be filled unto the personal knowledge of his will, in all spiritual wisdom and discernment,

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

So as to walk worthily of the Lord, unto all pleasing, in every good work, bearing fruit, and growing in the personal knowledge of God,

11 strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joy;

With all power, being empowered, according to the grasp of his glory, unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy,

12 giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet for a portion of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Giving thanks unto the Father that hath made you sufficient for your share in the inheritance of the saints in the light,

13 who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son:

Who hath rescued us out of the authority of the darkness, and translated [us] into the kingdom of the Son of his love;

14 in whom we have redemption by his blood, even the remission of sins.

In whom, we have our redemption—the remission of our sins, —

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of the whole creation:

Who, is an image of the unseen God, Firstborn of all creation, —

16 for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all were created by Him, and for Him.

Because, in him, were created all things in the heavens and upon the earth, the things seen and the things unseen, whether thrones or lordships or principalities or authorities, —they all, through him and for him, have been created,

17 He is before all, and by Him all things subsist.

And, he, is before all, and, they all, in him, hold together;

18 And He is the head of the body, which is the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.

And, he, is the head of the body, the assembly, Who is the beginning, Firstborn from among the dead, in order that, he, might become, in all things, himself, pre-eminent; —

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

Because, in him, was all the fullness well pleased to dwell,

20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace by the blood of his cross; by Him only, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven.

And, through him, fully to reconcile all things unto him, making peace through the blood of his cross, —[through him]—whether the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens;

21 And you that were formerly alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works,

And, you, who at one time were estranged and enemies in your mind in your wicked works, yet, now, hath he fully reconciled,

22 yet now hath He reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight:

In his body of flesh, through means of his death, to present you holy and blameless and unaccusable before him, —

23 if so be ye continue grounded and settled in the faith, and be not moved from the gospel, which ye have heard, and which hath been preached throughout the whole creation, of which I Paul am a minister.

If, at least, ye are abiding still in the faith, founded and firm, and not to be moved away from the hope of the glad-message which ye have heard, which hath been proclaimed in all creation which is under heaven, —of which, I Paul, have become minister.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly,

25 Of which I was made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given me towards you, that I might fully declare the word of God:

Of which, I, have become minister—according to the administration of God which hath been given unto me to you-ward, to fill up the word of God,

26 even that mystery which was hid from former ages and generations, but is now manifested to his saints: (aiōn g165)

The sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages and from the generations, but, now, hath been made manifest unto his saints— (aiōn g165)

27 to whom God would make known the rich glory of this mystery, among the gentiles; which is this, that Christ is in you the hope of glory:

Unto whom God hath been pleased to make known what is the glorious wealth of this sacred secret among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of the 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 are declaring, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, in order that we may present every man complete in Christ;

29 in order to which I also labour, striving earnestly according to his energy which operates in me with power.

Unto which I am even toiling, contending according to his energy which is energising itself in me with power.