New King James Version

English Standard Version

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

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

2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

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

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

4since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;

4since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,

5because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

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

6which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

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,

7as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

7just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf

8who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

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

9For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

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,

10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

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;

11strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

11being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;

12giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

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

13He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

14in whom we have redemption through His blood, 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 by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

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.

17And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

18And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

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.

19For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,

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

20and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

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

21And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled

21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

22in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—

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,

23if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

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.

24I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,

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,

25of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

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,

26the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

26the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

27To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

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.

28Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

28Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

29To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

29For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

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.