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

2 To the saints and believers in Colosse as brethren in Christ: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 ¶ In praying for you, we continually give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

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

5 Because of the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of the truth of the gospel;

6 Which has come to you, bringing forth fruit in you, as in all the world, since the day you heard it, and knew the truth of God’s grace:

7 As you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf;

8 And the one who told us of your love in the Spirit.

9 ¶ For that reason we have not ceased to pray for you, since the day we heard it, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10 That you might walk worthy of the Lord pleasing in every way, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you might endure all with joyfulness and patience;

12 ¶ Giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit to share the lot of saints enlightened by the gospel:

13 For he has rescued us from the power of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:

16 For all things in heaven and earth, both visible and invisible, were created by him, whether they be thrones, or jurisdictions, or provinces, or authorities: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things have their existence.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; so that in everything he might be pre-eminent.

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

20 And through him to reconcile all things to himself, whether on earth or in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

21 And although you were previously alienated from him, and antagonistic in mind through your wicked works,

22 He has now reconciled you, through the death of Christ’s physical body, to present you holy, without fault and beyond reproach in his sight:

23 If you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you heard, which is in the process of being preached in all creation under heaven; and of which I Paul have been made a minister;

24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for your benefit, and take my turn receiving in full, in my body, the afflictions of Christ that remain, for the sake of his body, which is the church:

25 Of which I have been made a servant, according to the work given to me by God, to present to you the word of God in its fullness;

26 Even the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now revealed to his saints:

27 To whom God chose to make known, among the Gentiles, all the riches of the glory of this mystery; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

29 To that end I labor, toiling according to the working of him who’s power is active in me.