1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints--
4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints,
5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel
6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood Gods grace in all its truth.
6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing -- so among yourselves, from the day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth,
7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
7 as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf
8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
9 And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
10 to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully
11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
13 He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
16 for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities -- all things were created through him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
19 For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
21 And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
22 But now he has reconciled you by Christs physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--
22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him,
23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
23 provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christs afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christs afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness--
25 of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,
26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints.
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
28 Him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ.
29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
29 For this I toil, striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me.