International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1From: Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus 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 holy and faithful brothers in Colossae who are in union with the Messiah. May grace and peace from God our Father be yours!

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

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

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

4because we have heard about your faith in the Messiah Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints,

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

5based on the hope laid up for you in heaven. Some time ago you heard about this hope through the word of truth, 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,

6that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and spreading all over the world, so it has been doing among you from the day you heard it and came to know 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,

7You learned about this gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of the Messiah on your behalf.

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

8He has told us about your love in the Spirit.

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

9For this reason, since the day we heard about this, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of God's will with respect to all spiritual wisdom and 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,

10so that you might live in a manner worthy of the Lord and be fully pleasing to him as you bear fruit while doing all kinds of good things and growing in the full 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;

11You are being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you might patiently endure everything with joy

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

12and might thank the Father, who has enabled us to share in the saints' inheritance in the light.

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

13God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves,

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

14through whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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

15The Son 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 in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether they are kings, lords, rulers, or powers. All things have been 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.

17He himself existed before anything else did, and he holds all things together.

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

18He is also the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself might have first place in everything.

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 God was pleased to have all of his divine essence inhabit him.

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

20Through the Son, God also reconciled all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, thereby making 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.

21You who were once alienated with a hostile attitude, doing evil,

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

22he has now reconciled by the death of his physical body, so that he may present you holy, blameless, and without fault before him.

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,

23However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

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.

24Now I am rejoicing while suffering for you as I complete in my flesh whatever remains of the Messiah's sufferings on behalf 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,

25I became its servant as God commissioned me to work for you, so that I may complete my ministry of 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,

26This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints,

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

27to whom God wanted to make known the glorious riches of this secret among the gentiles—which is the Messiah in you, our glorious hope.

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.

28It is he whom we proclaim as we admonish and wisely teach everyone, so that we may present everyone mature in the Messiah.

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

29I work hard and struggle to do this, using the energy that he powerfully provides in me.

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

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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.