Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the purpose of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the saints and true brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

We give praise to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, making prayer for you at all times,

After hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have for all the saints,

As it was given to you by Epaphras, our well-loved helper, who is a true servant of Christ for us,

Now I have joy in my pain because of you, and in my flesh I undergo whatever is still needed to make the sorrows of Christ complete, for the salvation of his body, the church;

To whom God was pleased to give knowledge of the wealth of the glory of this secret among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Whom we are preaching; guiding and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that every man may be complete in Christ;

So that their hearts may be comforted, and that being joined together in love, they may come to the full wealth of the certain knowledge of the secret of God, even Christ,

For though I am not present in the flesh, still I am with you in the spirit, seeing with joy your order, and your unchanging faith in Christ.

As, then, you took Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on in him,

Take care that no one takes you away by force, through man's wisdom and deceit, going after the beliefs of men and the theories of the world, and not after Christ:

In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's.

If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders

If then you have a new life with Christ, give your attention to the things of heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

For your life on earth is done, and you have a secret life with Christ in God.

At the coming of Christ who is our life, you will be seen with him in glory.

Where there is no Greek or Jew, no one with circumcision or without circumcision, no division between nations, no servant or free man: but Christ is all and in all.

And let the peace of Christ be ruling in your hearts, as it was the purpose of God for you to be one body; and give praise to God at all times.

Let the word of Christ be in you in all wealth of wisdom; teaching and helping one another with songs of praise and holy words, making melody to God with grace in your hearts.

Being certain that the Lord will give you the reward of the heritage: for you are the servants of the Lord Christ.

And making prayer for us, that God may give us an open door for the preaching of the word, the secret of Christ, for which I am now in chains;

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his love, ever taking thought for you in his prayers, that you may be complete and fully certain of all the purpose of God.