Colossians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

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

2 to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Sovereign Jesus Christ.

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

We always give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you

4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have toward all the saints,

(having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love toward all the saints),

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

because of the hope that is being reserved for you in the heavens, of which you have already heard through the Word of the Truth

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,

(the Gospel that has come to you just as also in all the world, where it is producing fruit and growing just as also among you, from the day in which you heard about and truly understood God's grace),

7 even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your behalf,

even as you learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your behalf,

8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

who also reported to us your love in spirit.

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,

For this very reason, since the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the real knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

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,

in order for you to walk worthily of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way, being fruitful in every good work and growing into the real knowledge of God;

11 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy,

being enabled with all capability according to the strength that resides in His glory, for all endurance and steadfastness.

12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,

Nor have we stopped giving thanks joyfully to the Father who has qualified us for the share in the inheritance of the saints in the Light;

13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love,

who delivered us out of the dominion of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.

in whom we have the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

He is the visible representation of the invisible God, ‘Firstborn’ over all creation,

16 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.

because by Him all things were created—those in the heavens and those on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

17 He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

Yes, He is before all, and in Him all things subsist.

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.

Also, He is the Head of the body, the Church. He is Beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that He may be preeminent in everything,

19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,

because in Him all the Fullness was pleased to dwell

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.

and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him, whether things on the earth or things on the heavens.

21 You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds,

So now He has reconciled you as well (you who once were alienated and hostile in your mind because of your wicked works),

22 yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,

by His physical body through His death, so as to present you before Him holy and blameless and above reproach—

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.

if, that is, you continue in the Faith established and firm, not drifting away from the hope of the Gospel, that you heard and that was proclaimed in all the creation under the heaven, of which I, Paul, became a servant.

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,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf and supplement in my flesh the things lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the Church,

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,

of which I became a servant according to the stewardship from God that was given to me towards you, to complete the Word of God,

26 the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints, (aiōn g165)

the secret that has been hidden from past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints; (aiōn g165)

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.

to whom God resolved to make known who is the wealth of the glory of this secret among the nations, namely Christ in you, the hope of glory;

28 We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

whom we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ.

29 for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

It is to this end that I labor, striving according to His working that works through me with power.