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

to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father.

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

since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

even as ye learned from Epaphras our beloved fellowservant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf;

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up instead that which is wanting of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh on behalf of his body, which is the church;

to whom it was the will of God 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;

whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

For though I am absent in the flesh, yet in the spirit I am with you, rejoicing and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,

Beware lest there be some one who shall make a prey of you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ.

in whom also ye have been circumcised with a circumcision not performed by hand, in putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ,

which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is Christs.

If ye died with Christ to the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, such as,

If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God.

For ye died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God;

when Christ, our life, shall be manifested, then will ye also be manifested with him in glory.

where there is no Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.

bearing with each other, and forgiving each other, if any one have a complaint against another; even as Christ freely forgave you, do ye also freely forgive;

and let the peace of Christ, to which ye were called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be ye thankful.

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

knowing that from the Lord ye will receive the recompense of the inheritance; serve Christ as your Lord.

praying at the same time for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for the sake of which I am also in bonds;

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.