Who, is an image of the unseen God, Firstborn of all creation, -

Because, in him, were created all things in the heavens and upon the earth, the things seen and the things unseen, whether thrones or lordships or principalities or authorities, - they all, through him and for him, have been created,

If, therefore, ye have been raised together with the Christ, the things on high, be seeking, where, the Christ, is - on the right hand of God, sitting;

Put on, therefore, as men chosen of God, holy and beloved, tender affections of compassion, graciousness, lowliness of mind, meekness, long-suffering,

Let, the word of the Christ, dwell within you richly, - in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, with gratitude, raising song with your hearts unto God:

Who hath rescued us out of the authority of the darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;

Be taking heed, lest there shall be anyone leading, you, off as a spoil, through means of their philosophy, and an empty deceit, - according to the instruction of men, according to the first principles of the world, - and not according to Christ:

Because, in him, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily,

And, he, is the head of the body, the assembly, Who is the beginning, Firstborn from among the dead, in order that, he, might become, in all things, himself, pre-eminent; -

When it presented itself unto you; even as, in all the world also, it is bearing fruit and growing, even as also among you, from the day when ye heard, and came personally to know the favour of God in truth,

Whatsoever ye may be doing, from the soul, be working at it, as unto the Lord, and not unto men,-

Having been buried together with him in your immersion, wherein also ye have been raised together, through your faith in the energising of God - Who raised him from among the dead.

Whom we are declaring, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, in order that we may present every man complete in Christ;

Make dead, therefore, your members that are on the earth - as regardeth fornication, impurity, passion, base coveting, and greed, the which, is idolatry, -

For this cause, we also, from the day when we heard of you , cease not, in your behalf, praying and asking - that ye may be filled unto the personal knowledge of his will, in all spiritual wisdom and discernment,

Let no one, therefore, be judging, you, - in eating and in drinking, or in respect of feast, or new moon, or sabbath, -

Who also hath made evident unto us your love in spirit.

And whatsoever ye may be doing, in word, or in work, all things, do in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks unto the Divine Father through him: -

Even as ye learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is faithful in our behalf, as a minister of the Christ,

As, therefore, ye have accepted the Anointed Jesus as your Lord, in him, be walking, -

And, as for you - who were, dead, by your offences and by the uncircumcision of your flesh, he hath brought you to life together with him, - having in favour forgiven us all our offences,

Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly,

Unto prayer, be devoting yourselves, watching therein with thanksgiving:

Ye wives! be submitting yourselves unto your husbands, as is becoming in the Lord;

Unto whom God hath been pleased to make known what is the glorious wealth of this sacred secret among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of the glory, -

Giving thanks unto the Father that hath made you sufficient for your share in the inheritance of the saints in the light,

And, you, who at one time were estranged and enemies in your mind in your wicked works, yet, now, hath he fully reconciled,

And let, the peace of Christ, act as umpire in your hearts, unto which ye have been called in onebody, and be thankful:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy my brother, -

Having blotted out the handwriting against us by the decrees, which was hostile to us, - and hath taken away, the same, out of the midst, nailing it up to the cross:

Bearing one with another, and in favour forgiving one another - if any, against any, have a complaint, - according as, the Lord, in favour forgave you, so also ye;

In whom, we have our redemption - the remission of our sins, -

Be not guilty of falsehood one to another: having stript off the old man, together with his practices,

In whom, ye have also been circumcised with a circumcision not done by hand, in the despoiling of the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Christ, -

And, through him, fully to reconcile all things unto him, making peace through the blood of his cross, - through him- whether the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens;

Because, in him, was all the fullness well pleased to dwell,

On account of which things cometh the anger of God, -

This I say, in order that, no one, may be reasoning, you, aside with plausible discourse;

Spoiling the principalities and the authorities, he made of them an open example, celebrating a triumph over them thereby.

The things on high, hold in esteem, not the things upon the earth:

And, he, is before all, and, they all, in him, hold together;

But, now, do, ye also, put them all away, - anger, wrath, baseness, defamation, shameful talk out of your mouth:

In wisdom, be walking towards them who are without, - the opportunity, buying out for yourselves,

In whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden away.

And having put on the new - who is being moulded afresh unto personal knowledge, after the image of him that hath created him, -

So as to walk worthily of the Lord, unto all pleasing, in every good work, bearing fruit, and growing in the personal knowledge of God,

Ye servants! be obedient, in all things, unto them who, according to the flesh, are your masters, - not with eye-service, as man-pleasers, but with singleness of heart, revering the Lord, -

Your discourse being always with benefit, with salt, seasoned, - that ye may know how it behoveth you, unto each one, to be making answer.

Wherein, ye also, walked, at one time, when ye were living in these things;

In order that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, even unto all the riches of the full assurance of their understanding, unto a personal knowledge of the sacred secret of God, - Christ:

As soon as, the Christ, shall be made manifest - our life, then, ye also, together with him, shall be made manifest in glory;

Wherein there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, foreigner, Scythian, bond, free, - but, all things and in all, Christ:

For ye have died, and, your life, is hid, together with the Christ, in God, -

Unto the holy and faithful brethren in Christ that are, in Colosse, favour unto you, and peace, from our God and Father.

And ye are, in him, filled full, - Who, is the head of all principality and authority,

For, though, indeed, in the flesh, I am absent, yet, in the spirit, with you, I am - rejoicing, and beholding your order and the solid firmness of your Christ-ward faith.

Unto which I am even toiling, contending according to his energy which is energising itself in me with power.

All the things which relate unto myself, shall Tychicus make known unto you - the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord,

Whom I have sent unto you, to this very end, - that ye may get to know the things which concern us, and he may encourage you hearts:

For I bear him witness, that he hath great toil in behalf of you, and them in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.

Together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is from among you: - all things, unto you, will they make known, that are taking place here.

And Jesus, he that is called Justus, - they being of the circumcision; these only, are my fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God, men who have been, unto me, a comfort.

For, he that acteth unrighteously, shall get back what he had unrighteously done, and there is no respect of persons;

Ye masters! that which is just and equitable, unto your servants, be rendering, knowing that, ye also, have a Master in heaven.

The which things, indeed, though they have, an appearance, of wisdom, in self-devised religious observance, and lowliness of mind, and ill-treatment of body, are, in no honourable way, unto a satisfying of the flesh.

And, as soon as the epistle hath been read amongst you, cause that, in the assembly of Laodiceans also, it be read; and, that from Laodicea, that, ye also, read.

Knowing that, from the Lord, ye shall duly receive the recompense of the inheritance, - unto the Lord Christ, are ye in service;

Which are a shadow of the things to come, whereas, the body, is of the Christ.

Salute ye the brethren, in Laodicea, also Nymphas, and the assembly, which meeteth at her house.

And say to Archippus: be taking heed unto the ministry which thou hast accepted in the Lord, - that, the same, thou fulfil.

And not holding fast the head: from which, all the body, through means of its joints and uniting bands, receiving supply, and connecting itself together, groweth with the growth of God.

The salutation of me Paul, with my own hand: - keep in mind my bonds. Favour be with you!

Which things are all for decay in the using up; - according to the commandments and teachings of men?

That I may make it manifest as behoveth me to speak.

Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch; -

Ye children! be obedient unto your parents in all things, for, this, is, well pleasing, in the Lord;

We are giving thanks unto God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always, for you, offering prayer, -

Let, no one, against you, be arbitrating, however wishful, - in respect of lowliness of mind, and of a religious observance of the messengers: upon what things he hath seen, taking his stand, in vain, puffed up by his carnal mind, -

If ye have died, together with Christ, from the first principles of the world, why, as though alive in the world, are ye submitting to decrees, -

Because of the hope that is lying by for you in the heavens, of which ye heard before, in the word of the truth of the glad-message,

If, at least, ye are abiding still in the faith, founded and firm, and not to be moved away from the hope of the glad-message which ye have heard, which hath been proclaimed in all creation which is under heaven, - of which, I Paul, have become minister.

And, over all these things, love, which is a uniting-bond of completeness;

Ye husbands! be loving your wives, and be not embittered against them;

For I desire you to know, how great a contest I am having - in behalf of you, and of those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

Ye fathers! be not irritating your children, lest they be disheartened;

The sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages and from the generations, but, now, hath been made manifest unto his saints -

With all power, being empowered, according to the grasp of his glory, unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy,

Aristarchus, my fellow-captive, saluteth you; and Mark, the first cousin of Barnabas, - concerning whom ye have received commands - if he come unto you, give him welcome;

Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, salute you.

In his body of flesh, through means of his death, to present you holy and blameless and unaccusable before him, -

Epaphras who is from among you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, - at all times, contending in your behalf in his prayers, that ye may be caused to stand complete and fully assured in everything willed by God;

Of which, I, have become minister - according to the administration of God which hath been given unto me to you-ward, to fill up the word of God,

Praying, at the same time, for us also, - that, God, would open unto us a door for the word, so that we may speak the sacred secret of the Christ - for the sake of which also I am in bonds,

Having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which ye have unto all the saints, -

Rooted, and being built up, in him, and making yourselves sure in your faith, even as ye have been taught, - surpassing therein with thanksgiving.