and He is before all things, and in Him all things have held together.

And He is the Head of the body, the assembly; Who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that in all things He may be preeminent;

yet now did He reconcile in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and without blemish, and irreproachable, before Him;

For I wish you to know how great a conflict I am having for you, and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in flesh;

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,

and you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, did He make alive with Him: having freely forgiven us all our trespasses;

having blotted out the hand-writing in decrees against us, which was contrary to us, and He has taken it out of the midst, nailing it to the cross;

having despoiled the principalities and the powers, He made an example of them, celebrating a triumph over them in it.

Let no one rob you of your prize, wishing to do it in humility and in a worshipping of angels, speculating about the things which he has seen, being vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh,

For he that does wrong shall receive back the wrong which he did; and there is no respect of persons,

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.

whom I sent to you for this very purpose, that ye may know the things that concern us, and that he may comfort your hearts;

Aristarchus, my fellow-captive, salutes you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom ye received commandments (if he come to you, receive him),

For I bear him witness, that he has much concern in behalf of you, and those in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.