| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, | 1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, |
| 2To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. | 2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. |
| 3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, | 3We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, |
| 4since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, | 4since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; |
| 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, | 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel |
| 6which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, | 6which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; |
| 7just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf | 7just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, |
| 8and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. | 8and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. |
| 9And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, | 9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, |
| 10so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; | 10so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; |
| 11being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; | 11strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously |
| 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. | 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. |
| 13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, | 13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, |
| 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. | 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. |
| 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. | 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. |
| 16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. | 16For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him. |
| 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. | 17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. |
| 18And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. | 18He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. |
| 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, | 19For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, |
| 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. | 20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. |
| 21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, | 21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, |
| 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, | 22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- |
| 23if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. | 23if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. |
| 24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, | 24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. |
| 25of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, | 25Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, |
| 26the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. | 26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, |
| 27To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. | 27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. |
| 28Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. | 28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. |
| 29For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. | 29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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