| New King James Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ 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 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 brethren in Christ who are 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 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 your love 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 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 which you previously heard in the word of 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, 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; |
| 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 bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, |
| 8who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. | 8and he also informed us of 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; | 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, |
| 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 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; |
| 11strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering 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 us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the 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 power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, | 13For He rescued 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, 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 consist. | 17He 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. | 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 it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, | 19For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, |
| 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 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 enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled | 21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, |
| 22in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— | 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, 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 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. |
| 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 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 which was given to me for you, to fulfill 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, |
| 26the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has 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, |
| 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 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 preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. | 28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. |
| 29To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. | 29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. 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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