| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1From Paul, 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, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you 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 give thanks to 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 about your faith in Christ Jesus and 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; |
| 5Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of 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 |
| 6that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing among you from the first 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; |
| 7You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave--a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf-- | 7just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, |
| 8who also told us of your love in the Spirit. | 8and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. |
| 9For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you 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 that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects--bearing fruit in every good deed, growing 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 the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully | 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 saints' inheritance in the light. | 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. |
| 13He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, | 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 over all creation, | 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. |
| 16for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him--all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers--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. |
| 17He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. | 17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. |
| 18He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. | 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 God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son | 19For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, |
| 20and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross--through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven. | 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 were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds as expressed through your evil deeds, | 21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, |
| 22but now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless 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 remain in the faith, established and firm, without shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant. | 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 you, and I fill up in my physical body--for the sake of his body, the church--what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. | 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. |
| 25I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God--given to me for you--in order to complete the word of God, | 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, |
| 26that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been 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, |
| 27God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, 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. |
| 28We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person 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. |
| 29Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me. | 29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. |
| NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. 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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