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

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

We give thanks always to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ [when we] pray for you,

that has come to you, just as also in all the world it is bearing fruit and increasing, just as also among you from the day you heard about and understood the grace of God in truth,

so that you may live in a manner worthy of the Lord, {to please [him] in all respects}, bearing fruit in every good deed and increasing in the knowledge of God,

who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,

of which I became a minister, according to God's stewardship which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God,

to whom God wanted to make known what [is] the glorious wealth of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,

so that their hearts may be encouraged, united in love and into all the wealth of the full assurance of insight into the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ,

for even if I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing and seeing your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

having been buried with him in baptism, in which also you were raised together with [him] through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by the ligaments and sinews, grows with the growth of God.

Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

because of which the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

Therefore, as [the] chosen of God, holy and [dearly] loved, put on affection, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience,

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, [and] spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God,

and everything {whatever} you do in word or in deed, giving thanks [for] all [things] in the name of the Lord Jesus to God the Father through him.

praying at the same time for us also, that God may open for us a door of the message, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which also {I am a prisoner},

and Jesus who is called Justus. These [are] the only ones who are fellow workers for the kingdom of God from the circumcision, who have been a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is [one] of you, greets you, a slave of Christ always struggling on behalf of you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.