| 1 | Paul , an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God , and Timotheus [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 . |
| 3 | We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , praying always for you , |
| 4 | Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus , and of the love [which ye have] to all the saints , |
| 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 | 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 | As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant , who is for you a faithful minister of Christ ; |
| 8 | Who also declared unto 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 ; |
| 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 | Strengthened with all might , according to his glorious power , unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness ; |
| 12 | Giving thanks unto the Father , which hath made us meet to be partakers of 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 : |
| 14 | In whom we have redemption through his blood , [even] the forgiveness of sins : |
| 15 | Who is the image of the invisible God , the firstborn of every creature : |
| 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 | And he is before all things , and by him all things consist . |
| 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 | For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell ; |
| 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 | And you , that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works , yet now hath he reconciled |
| 22 | In the body of his flesh through death , to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight : |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations , but now is made manifest to his saints : |
| 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 | Whom we preach , warning every man , and teaching every man in all wisdom ; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus : |
| 29 | Whereunto I also labour , striving according to his working , which worketh in me mightily . |
