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 and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 towards 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 the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of 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 learnt from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your 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, don’t 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 all respects, 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 made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in 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 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 forgiveness of our sins.

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

He is the image of the invisible God, the 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.

For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through 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 assembly, 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 by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

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

You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your 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 defect 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, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made 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 fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, 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 was made a servant according to the stewardship of God which was given me towards you to fulfil 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 mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to 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:

to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery amongst the Gentiles, 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:

We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man 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 labour, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.