Greeting
2 to the devoted and steadfast Christian brothers in Colossae; God our Father bless you and give you peace.
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 To the (c)(E)saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: (F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
2 To the saints in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers.Grace to you and peace from God our Father.(b)
2 To: The holy and faithful brothers in Colossae who are in union with the Messiah. May grace and peace from God our Father be yours!
Thanksgiving For The Colossian Believers
3 We never pray for you without thanking God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, praying always for you,
4 for what we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love you have for all God's people,
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
4 (I)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the (J)love which you have (d)for (K)all the (e)saints;
4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints
4 because we have heard about your faith in the Messiah Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints,
5 and for the hope of what is stored up for you in heaven. You first heard of it long ago when the true message of the gospel
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
5 because of the (L)hope (M)laid up for you in (f)heaven, of which you previously (N)heard in the word of truth, (g)the gospel
5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the message of truth,(C) the gospel
5 based on the hope laid up for you in heaven. Some time ago you heard about this hope through the word of truth, the gospel
6 came among you, to thrive and bear its fruit among you, as it does all over the world, from the time when you first heard about the mercy of God,
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
6 which has come to you, just as (h)(O)in all the world also it is constantly bearing (P)fruit and (i)increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you (Q)heard of it and (j)understood the grace of God in truth;
6 that has come to you. It is bearing fruit(D) and growing all over the world,(E) just as it has among you since the day you heard it and recognized God’s grace(F) in the truth.(c)(G)
6 that 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.
7 and really came to know it, in the form in which Epaphras, my dear fellow-slave, taught it to you. He is my faithful representative as a servant of Christ,
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
7 just as you learned it from (R)Epaphras, our (S)beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,
7 You learned this from Epaphras,(H) our dearly loved fellow slave. He is a faithful servant of the Messiah(I) on your(d) behalf,
7 You learned about this gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of the Messiah on your behalf.
Prayer For Maturity Based On Christ's Preeminence
9 That is why, from the day I first heard of it, I have never given up praying for you and asking God to fill you, through full spiritual wisdom and insight, with a clear knowledge of what his will is,
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
9 For this reason also, (U)since the day we heard of it, (V)we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the (k)(W)knowledge of His will in all spiritual (X)wisdom and understanding,
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking(K) that you may be filled with the knowledge(L) of His will(M) in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,(e)
9 For 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,
10 so that the lives you live may be worthy of your Master and wholly pleasing to him, and you may be fruitful in all kinds of good deeds, and may grow into fuller knowledge of God.
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
10 so that you will (Y)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, (l)(Z)to please Him in all respects, (AA)bearing fruit in every good work and (m)increasing in the (n)knowledge of God;
10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work(N) and growing in the knowledge of God.(O)
10 so 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.
11 Then, so mighty is his majesty, he will nerve you perfectly with strength for the cheerful exercise of endurance and forbearance in every situation,
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
11 (AB)strengthened with all power, according to (o)His glorious might, (p)for the attaining of all steadfastness and (q)patience; (AC)joyously
11 May you be strengthened(P) with all power,(Q) according to His glorious(R) might, for all endurance and patience, with joy
11 You are being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you might patiently endure everything with joy
12 and you will thank the Father who has entitled you to share the lot of God's people in the realm of light.
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
12 giving thanks to (AD)the Father, who has qualified us (r)to share in (AE)the inheritance of the (s)saints in (AF)Light.
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you(f) to share in the saints’(g) inheritance in the light.(S)
12 and might thank the Father, who has enabled us to share in the saints' inheritance in the light.
What God Has Done Through Christ
13 He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us into the realm of his dear Son,
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
13 (t)For He rescued us from the (u)(AG)domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of (v)(AH)His beloved Son,
13 He has rescued(T) us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom(U) of the Son(V) He loves.(W)
13 God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves,
The Centrality Of Christ
16 for it was through him that everything was created in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, angelic thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities??ll things were created through him and for him.
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
16 For (x)(AM)by Him all things were created, (AN)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether (AO)thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—(AP)all things have been created through Him and for Him.
16 For everything was created by Him,(Z)in heaven and on earth,the visible and the invisible,whether thrones or dominionsor rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.(AA)
16 For 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.
18 He is the head of the church, it is his body; for he is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead??hat he might come to stand first in everything.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
18 He is also (AR)head of (AS)the body, the church; and He is (AT)the beginning, (AU)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
18 He is also the head of the body, the church;He is the beginning,(AD)the firstborn from the dead,(AE)so that He might come to havefirst place in everything.
18 He 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.
20 and through him to reconcile to God all things on earth or in heaven, making this peace through his blood shed on the cross.
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
20 and through Him to (AX)reconcile all things to Himself, having made (AY)peace through (AZ)the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, (BA)whether things on earth or things in (ac)heaven.
20 and through Him to reconcileeverything to Himselfby making peace(AH)through the blood(AI) of His cross(j)(AJ)—whether things on earth or things in heaven.
20 Through 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.
21 And it has brought you, who were once estranged from him, hostile in attitude and engaged in doing wrong (though now he has reconciled you
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil actions.
21 You who were once alienated with a hostile attitude, doing evil,
22 through dying in his human body) in holiness, and free from reproach or blame, into God's presence??23 if at least you continue firm and steadfast in the exercise of faith, and never shift from the hope held out in the good news to which you listened, which has been preached all over the world, and for which I, Paul, became a worker.
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
22 yet He has now (BC)reconciled you in His fleshly (BD)body through death, in order to (BE)present you before Him (BF)holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
22 But now He has reconciled you by His physical body(k) through His death,(AK) to present you holy, faultless,(AL) and blameless before Him(AM)—
22 he has now reconciled by the death of his physical body, so that he may present you holy, blameless, and without fault before him.
Paul's Suffering And Stewardship
23 At present I am glad to be suffering in your interest, and I am making up in my own person what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for the church, which is his body.
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
23 if indeed you continue in (ad)the faith firmly (BG)established and steadfast, and not moved away from the (BH)hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed (BI)in all creation under heaven, (BJ)and of which I, Paul, (ae)was made a (af)(BK)minister.
23 if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith(AN) and are not shifted away from the hope(AO) of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation(AP) under heaven,(AQ) and I, Paul,(AR) have become a servant of it.
23 However, 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.
24 In it, by divine appointment, I became a worker, that I might preach among you the message of God in its fulness??26 that secret, hidden from the ages and generations, but now disclosed to those who are consecrated to him,
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
24 (BL)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh (BM)I (ag)do my share on behalf of (BN)His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking (ah)in Christ’s afflictions.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings(AS) for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for His body,(AT) that is, the church.
24 Now 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.
25 to whom God has chosen to make known among the heathen how glorious this mystery of Christ in you, the promise of glorification, really is.
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
25 (BO)Of this church I (ai)was made a minister according to the (BP)stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might (aj)fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
25 I have become its servant, according to God’s administration that was given to me for you, to make God’s message fully known,
25 I became its servant as God commissioned me to work for you, so that I may complete my ministry of the word of God.
26 And in spreading the news of him, we warn everyone and teach everyone all our wisdom, in order to bring everyone to Christian perfection.
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
26 that is, (BQ)the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His (ak)saints,
26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints.
26 This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints,
27 That is what I am working for, fighting with all the energy with which he so mightily endows me.
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
27 to whom (BR)God willed to make known what is (BS)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is (BT)Christ in you, the (BU)hope of glory.
27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ(AU) in you, the hope(AV) of glory.
27 to whom God wanted to make known the glorious riches of this secret among the gentiles which is the Messiah in you, our glorious hope.