Colossians 1

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

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through 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.

to the believers and faithful brothers in Christ who are at Colossae. May grace be to you, and peace from God our Father.

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

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

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

We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all those set apart for God.

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;

You have this love because of the certain hope reserved for you in heaven. You heard about this confident expectation before in the word of truth, the 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:

which has come to you. This gospel is bearing fruit and is growing in all the world. It has been doing this in you also from the day you heard it and learned about the grace of God in truth.

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

This is the gospel as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf.

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

Epaphras has made known to us your love 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;

Because of this love, from the day we heard this we have not stopped praying for you. We have been asking that you will be filled with the knowledge of his will in all 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;

We have been praying that you will walk worthily of the Lord in pleasing ways. We have been praying that you will bear fruit in every good deed and that you will grow in the knowledge of God.

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

We pray you may be strengthened in every ability according to the power of his glory into all perseverance and patience.

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

We pray that you will joyfully give thanks to the Father, who has made you able to have a share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

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

He has rescued us from the dominion 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:

In his Son we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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

The Son is the image of the invisible God. He is the firstborn of all creation.

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:

For by him all things were created, those in the heavens and those on the earth, the visible and the invisible things. Whether thrones or dominions or governments or authorities, all things were created by him and for him.

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

He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

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.

He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so he has first place among all things.

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

For God was pleased that all his fullness should live 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.

and to reconcile through the Son all things to himself. God made peace through the blood of his cross. God reconciled all things to himself, whether the things on the earth or the things in heaven.

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

At one time, you also were strangers to God and were his enemies in mind and in evil deeds.

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

But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death. He did this in order to present you holy, blameless, and above reproach 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;

if you continue in the faith, established and firm, not moved away from the certain hope of the gospel that you heard. This is the gospel that was proclaimed to every person created under heaven. This is the gospel of which I, Paul, became a servant.

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:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions 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;

It is of this church that I am a servant, according to the responsibility from God that was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.

26 [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: (aiōn g165)

This is the secret truth that was hidden for ages and for generations. But now it has been revealed to those who believe in him. (aiōn g165)

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:

It is to them that God wanted to make known the riches of the glory of this secret truth among 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:

This is he whom we proclaim. We admonish every person, and we teach every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ.

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

For this I labor and strive according to his energy that is at work in me in power.