International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1From: Paul, an apostle of the Messiah 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 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 brethren in Christ who are 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 give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always 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 the love which 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 which you previously heard in the word of 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, 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 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 bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

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

8and he also informed us of 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,

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 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 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;

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

11strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously

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 us 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,

13For He rescued 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, 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 existed before anything else did, and he holds all things together.

17He 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.

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 of his divine essence inhabit him.

19For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,

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 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.

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

21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in 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.

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--

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 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 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 do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

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 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,

26This secret was hidden throughout the 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,

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 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.

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

28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

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

29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

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