
Paul's Letter to the Colossians

   {1:1} Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and
Timothy our brother, {1:2} to the saints and faithful [1>]brothers[<1]
in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and
the Lord Jesus Christ.

   {1:3} We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
praying always for you, {1:4} having heard of your faith in Christ
Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all the saints, {1:5}
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, {1:6} 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; {1:7} even as you learned of Epaphras our
beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our
behalf, {1:8} who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. {1:9}
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, {1:10}
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; {1:11} strengthened with all power, according to the might of his
glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy; {1:12} giving
thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light; {1:13} who delivered us out of the
power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his
love; {1:14} in whom we have our redemption,[2] the forgiveness of our
sins; {1:15} who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
all creation. {1:16} For by him all things were created, in the heavens
and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones
or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created
through him, and for him. {1:17} He is before all things, and in him
all things are held together. {1:18} 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. {1:19} For all the fullness
was pleased to dwell in him; {1:20} 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.

   {1:21} You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind
in your evil works, {1:22} yet now he has reconciled in the body of his
flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and
blameless before him, {1:23} 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 is being proclaimed in all creation
under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

   {1:24} 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; {1:25} 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, {1:26} the mystery which has
been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to
his saints, {1:27} to whom God was pleased to make known what are the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory; {1:28} whom we proclaim, admonishing every
man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man
perfect in Christ Jesus; {1:29} for which I also labor, striving
according to his working, which works in me mightily.

   {2:1} For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you,
and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in
the flesh; {2:2} that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit
together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of
understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the
Father and of Christ, {2:3} in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge hidden. {2:4} Now this I say that no one may delude you with
persuasiveness of speech. {2:5} For though I am absent in the flesh,
yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and
the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. {2:6} As therefore you
received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, {2:7} rooted and built up
in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught,
abounding in it in thanksgiving. {2:8} Be careful that you don't let
anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the
tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after
Christ. {2:9} For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
{2:10} and in him you are made full, who is the head of all
principality and power; {2:11} in whom you were also circumcised with a
circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the
sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; {2:12} having been
buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
{2:13} You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of
your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all
our trespasses, {2:14} wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which
was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the
cross; {2:15} having stripped the principalities and the powers, he
made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

   {2:16} Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or
with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, {2:17}
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.
{2:18} Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and
worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not
seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, {2:19} and not holding
firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit
together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God's growth.
{2:20} If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as
though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,
{2:21} "Don't handle, nor taste, nor touch" {2:22} (all of which perish
with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men? {2:23} Which
things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility,
and severity to the body; but aren't of any value against the
indulgence of the flesh.

   {3:1} If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things
that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. {3:2}
Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are
on the earth. {3:3} For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ
in God. {3:4} When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be
revealed with him in glory. {3:5} Put to death therefore your members
which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; {3:6} for
which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of
disobedience. {3:7} You also once walked in those, when you lived in
them; {3:8} but now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice,
slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. {3:9} Don't lie to
one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings,
{3:10} and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge
after the image of his Creator, {3:11} where there can't be Greek and
Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant,
freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.

   {3:12} Put on therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, a
heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;
{3:13} bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man
has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

   {3:14} Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of
perfection. {3:15} And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to
which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. {3:16} Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

   {3:17} Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.

   {3:18} Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in
the Lord.

   {3:19} Husbands, love your wives, and don't be bitter against them.

   {3:20} Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases
the Lord.

   {3:21} Fathers, don't provoke your children, so that they won't be
discouraged.

   {3:22} Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters
according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men
pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. {3:23} And whatever
you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men, {3:24} knowing
that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for
you serve the Lord Christ. {3:25} But he who does wrong will receive
again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.

   {4:1} Masters, give to your servants that which is just and equal,
knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

   {4:2} Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with
thanksgiving; {4:3} praying together for us also, that God may open to
us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am
also in bonds; {4:4} that I may reveal it as I ought to speak. {4:5}
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. {4:6}
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may
know how you ought to answer each one.

   {4:7} All my affairs will be made known to you by Tychicus, the
beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord.
{4:8} I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know
your circumstances and comfort your hearts, {4:9} together with
Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They
will make known to you everything that is going on here. {4:10}
Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of
Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, "if he comes to
you, receive him"), {4:11} and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my
only fellow workers for the Kingdom of God who are of the circumcision,
men who have been a comfort to me.

   {4:12} Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes
you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect
and complete in all the will of God. {4:13} For I testify about him,
that he has great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for
those in Hierapolis. {4:14} Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas
greet you. {4:15} Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas,
and the assembly that is in his house. {4:16} When this letter has been
read among you, cause it to be read also in the assembly of the
Laodiceans; and that you also read the letter from Laodicea. {4:17}
Tell Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in
the Lord, that you fulfill it."

   {4:18} The salutation of me, Paul, with my own hand: remember my
bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.





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Footnotes:
[1] {1:2} The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may
also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."

[2] {1:14} TR adds "through his blood,"

