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

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,

just as you learned [it] from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave who is a faithful minister of Christ [on] our behalf,

Because of this also we, from the day we heard about [it], did not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled [with] the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual insight,

who has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred [us] to the kingdom of the Son {he loves},

and he himself is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in everything,

if indeed you remain in the faith, established and steadfast and not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

the mystery [which] has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but has now been revealed to his saints,

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.

But now you also lay aside all [these] things: anger, rage, wickedness, slander, abusive language from your mouth.

Whatever you do, accomplish [it] from the soul, as to the Lord, and not to people,

[because you] know that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ.

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.

And whenever this letter is read among you, {see to it} that it is read also among the Laodicean church, and that you also read the [letter] from Laodicea.