Colossians, 1

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

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

2. to God's holy people in Colossae, our faithful brothers in Christ. Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

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.

3. We give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, continually in our prayers,

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

4. ever since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you show towards all God's holy people

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

5. because of the hope which is stored up for you in heaven. News of this hope reached you not long ago through the word of truth, the gospel

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;

6. that came to you in the same way as it is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world. It has had the same effect among you, ever since you heard about the grace of God and recognised it for what it truly is.

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:

7. This you learnt from Epaphras, our very dear fellow-worker and a trustworthy deputy for us as Christ's servant,

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

8. and it was he who also told us all about your love in the Spirit.

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

9. That is why, ever since the day he told us, we have never failed to remember you in our prayers and ask that through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding you should reach the fullest knowledge of his will

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;

10. and so be able to lead a life worthy of the Lord, a life acceptable to him in all its aspects, bearing fruit in every kind of good work and growing in knowledge of God,

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;

11. fortified, in accordance with his glorious strength, with all power always to persevere and endure,

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

12. giving thanks with joy to the Father who has made you able to share the lot of God's holy people and with them to inherit the light.

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

13. Because that is what he has done. It is he who has rescued us from the ruling force of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son that he loves,

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

14. and in him we enjoy our freedom, the forgiveness of sin.

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

15. He is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of all creation,

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

16. for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, thrones, ruling forces, sovereignties, powers -- all things were created through him and for him.

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:

17. He exists before all things and in him all things hold together,

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

18. and he is the Head of the Body, that is, the Church. He is the Beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that he should be supreme in every way;

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.

19. because God wanted all fullness to be found in him

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

20. and through him to reconcile all things to him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, by making peace through his death on the cross.

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.

21. You were once estranged and of hostile intent through your evil behaviour;

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

22. now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body, to bring you before himself holy, faultless and irreproachable-

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

23. as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the gospel, which you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become the servant.

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;

24. It makes me happy to be suffering for you now, and in my own body to make up all the hardships that still have to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church,

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:

25. of which I was made a servant with the responsibility towards you that God gave to me, that of completing God's message,

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;

26. the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his holy people.

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

27. It was God's purpose to reveal to them how rich is the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; it is Christ among you, your hope of glory:

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:

28. this is the Christ we are proclaiming, admonishing and instructing everyone in all wisdom, to make everyone perfect in Christ.

28. Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

29. And it is for this reason that I labour, striving with his energy which works in me mightily.

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