Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus, by God's will, and Timotheus the brother,

to the holy and faithful brethren in Christ which are in Colosse. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.

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

which are come to you, as they are in all the world, and are bearing fruit and growing, even as also among you, from the day ye heard them and knew indeed the grace of God, in truth:

so as to walk worthily of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing by the true knowledge of God;

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

of which I became minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given me towards you to complete the word of God,

to whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you the hope of glory:

to the end that their hearts may be encouraged, being united together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the full knowledge of the mystery of God;

buried with him in baptism, in which ye have been also raised with him through faith of the working of God who raised him from among the dead.

and not holding fast the head, from whom all the body, ministered to and united together by the joints and bands, increases with the increase of God.

If therefore ye have been raised with the Christ, seek the things which are above, where the Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God:

for ye have died, and your life is hid with the Christ in God.

On account of which things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;

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

And everything, whatever ye may do in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him.

praying at the same time for us also, that God may open to us a door of the word to speak the mystery of Christ, on account of which also I am bound,

and Jesus called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These are the only fellow-workers for the kingdom of God who have been a consolation to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, the bondman of Christ Jesus, salutes you, always combating earnestly for you in prayers, to the end that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.