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,

which is come to you, as it is in all the world, and is bearing fruit and growing, as it doth also in you, from the day ye heard it, and knew the grace of God in truth;

that ye may walk worthily of the Lord so as to please him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of the whole creation;

for God was pleased that in him all the fullness should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself,

of which I became a minister, according to the stewardship which God entrusted to me, for you, to fulfill the word of God,

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;

that their hearts may be encouraged, they being knit together in love, and that they may attain to all the riches of a full assurance of the understanding, to the full knowledge of the mystery of God;

having been buried with him in your baptism; in which also ye were raised to life with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead;

and not holding fast the Head, from which the whole body, supported and compacted by means of the joints and ligaments, groweth with an increase wrought by God.

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;

on account of which things cometh the wrath of God.

Clothe yourselves, therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and beloved, with compassionate affections, kindness, lowliness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

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;

and whatever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, the Father, through him.

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;

and Jesus, who is called Justus; who are of the circumcision; these only are my fellowworkers for the kingdom of God, who have been an encouragement unto me.

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.