< 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 our 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.
to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always in our prayers for you:
We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
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 you have toward 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 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 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.
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 As ye also learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you;
even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,
8 who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
who also declared to us your love in the 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, 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 worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful 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 strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, 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 unto the Father, who hath made us meet for a portion of the inheritance of the saints in light:
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to 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 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 redemption by his blood, even the remission of 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 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.
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 He is before all, and by 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, which is the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.
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 it pleased the Father, that all fulness should dwell in Him;
For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,
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 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 formerly alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
You, who once were alienated and were hostile in your minds, doing evil deeds,
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:
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 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 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 what is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for the sake 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 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 was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 even that mystery which was hid from former ages and generations, but is now manifested to his saints: (aiōn )
the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints. (aiōn )
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:
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 Jesus:
whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ Jesus;
29 in order to which I also labour, striving earnestly according to his energy which operates in me with power.
for which I also labor, struggling according to his power, which works in me mightily.