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

1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colos'sae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
1:2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
1:3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

1:4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints,
1:4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,

1:5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel
1:5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel

1:6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing -- so among yourselves, from the day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth,
1:6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.

1:7 as you learned it from Ep'aphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf
1:7 This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

1:8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
1:8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

1:9 And so, from the day we heard of it, 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,
1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

1:10 to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
1:10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.

1:11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
1:11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully

1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

1:13 He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
1:13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,

1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;
1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;

1:16 for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities -- all things were created through him and for him.
1:16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers--all things have been created through him and for him.

1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
1:17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

1:18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.
1:18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.

1:19 For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell,
1:19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

1:20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
1:20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

1:21 And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
1:21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

1:22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him,
1:22 he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him--

1:23 provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
1:23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.

1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
1:24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.

1:25 of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,
1:25 I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,

1:26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints.
1:26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.

1:27 To 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.
1:27 To 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.

1:28 Him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ.
1:28 It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

1:29 For this I toil, striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me.
1:29 For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.