Colossians, 1

1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus [our] brother,

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

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

2. to the saints in Colossae, our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Receive grace and peace from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

3. Thanks be to God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord! We constantly pray for you,

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

4. for we have known of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints. Indeed you await in hope the inheritance reserved for you in Heaven,

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

5. of which you have heard through the word of truth. This Gospel,

6. Which is come unto 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:

6. already present among you, is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world, as it did among you from the day you accepted it and understood the gift of God in all its truth.

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

7. He who taught you, Epaphras, our dear companion in the service of Christ, faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

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

8. has reminded me of the love you have for me 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 might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

9. Because of this, from the day we received news of you, we have not ceased praying to God for you, that you may attain the full knowledge of his will through all the gifts of wisdom and spiritual understanding.

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

10. May your lifestyle be worthy of the Lord and completely pleasing to him. May you bear fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God.

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

11. May you become strong in everything by a sharing of the Glory of God, so that you may have great endurance and persevere in joy.

12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

12. Constantly give thanks to the Father who has empowered us to receive our share in the inheritance of the saints in his kingdom of light.

13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:

13. He rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.

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

14. In him we are redeemed and forgiven.

15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

15. He is the image of the unseen God, and for all creation he is the firstborn,

16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: 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: thrones, rulers, authorities, powers... All was made through him and for him.

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

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

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 might have the preeminence.

18. And he is the head of the body, that is the Church, for he is the first, the first raised from the dead that he may be the first in everything,

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

19. for God was pleased to let fullness dwell in him.

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

20. Through him God willed to reconcile all things to himself, and through him, through his blood shed on the cross, God establishes peace, on earth as in Heaven.

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

21. You yourselves were once estranged and opposed to God because of your evil deeds,

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

22. but now you have been reconciled. God reconciled you by giving up to death the body of Christ, so that you may be without fault, holy and blameless before him.

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

23. Only stand firm, upon the foundation of your faith, and be steadfast in hope. Keep in mind the Gospel you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

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:

24. At present I rejoice when I suffer for you; I complete in my own flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the Church.

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

25. For I am serving the Church since God entrusted to me the ministry of bringing into effect his design for you.

26. [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

26. I mean that mysterious plan that for centuries and generations remained secret, and which God has now revealed to his holy ones.

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:

27. God willed to make known to them the riches and even the Glory that his mysterious plan reserved for the pagan nations: Christ is in you and you may hope God's 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:

28. This Christ we preach. We warn and teach everyone true wisdom, aiming to make everyone perfect in Christ.

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

29. For this cause I labor and struggle with the energy of Christ working powerfully in me.