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

to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father.

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

having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints,

even as ye learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for us a faithful minister of Christ,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings in your behalf, and fill up in turn the deficiencies of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh for the sake of His body, which is the assembly;

to whom God willed 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 proclaim, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

that their hearts may he comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of the understanding, unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, even Christ,

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

As, therefore, ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him;

Beware, lest there should be any one who makes a spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceits, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ;

in Whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hand, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is Christ's.

If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as if living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to decrees,

If, therefore, ye were raised up with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.

for ye died, and your life has been hid with Christ in God.

When Christ, our Life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with Him be manifested in glory.

where there is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, unto which also ye were called in one body; and become thankful.

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

knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye are doing service to the Lord, Christ.

at the same time praying for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ (because of which I have also become bound),

Epaphras, who is from among you, salutes you, a servant of Christ Jesus, always striving in your behalf in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.