We give praise to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, making prayer for you at all times,

After hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have for all the saints,

Through the hope which is in store for you in heaven; knowledge of which was given to you before in the true word of the good news,

As it was given to you by Epaphras, our well-loved helper, who is a true servant of Christ for us,

For this reason, we, from the day when we had word of it, keep on in prayer for you, that you may be full of the knowledge of his purpose, with all wisdom and experience of the Spirit,

Who has made us free from the power of evil and given us a place in the kingdom of the Son of his love;

For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and powers; all things were made by him and for him;

For God in full measure was pleased to be in him;

In the body of his flesh through death, so that you might be holy and without sin and free from all evil before him:

Now I have joy in my pain because of you, and in my flesh I undergo whatever is still needed to make the sorrows of Christ complete, for the salvation of his body, the church;

Of which I became a servant by the purpose of God which was given to me for you, to give effect to the word of God,

And for this purpose I am working, using all my strength by the help of his power which is working in me strongly.

For it is my desire to give you news of the great fight I am making for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh;

For though I am not present in the flesh, still I am with you in the spirit, seeing with joy your order, and your unchanging faith in Christ.

For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living form,

Having made himself free from the rule of authorities and powers, he put them openly to shame, glorying over them in it.

For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths:

For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's.

If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders

For your life on earth is done, and you have a secret life with Christ in God.

But now it is right for you to put away all these things; wrath, passion, bad feeling, curses, unclean talk;

Where there is no Greek or Jew, no one with circumcision or without circumcision, no division between nations, no servant or free man: but Christ is all and in all.

Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you:

And let the peace of Christ be ruling in your hearts, as it was the purpose of God for you to be one body; and give praise to God at all times.

Husbands, have love for your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Children, do the orders of your fathers and mothers in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

Being certain that the Lord will give you the reward of the heritage: for you are the servants of the Lord Christ.

For the wrongdoer will have punishment for the wrong he has done, without respect for any man's position.

And making prayer for us, that God may give us an open door for the preaching of the word, the secret of Christ, for which I am now in chains;

So that I may make it clear, as it is right for me to do.

And I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may have news of how we are, and so that he may give your hearts comfort;

And Jesus, whose other name is Justus; these are of the circumcision: they are my only brother-workers for the kingdom of God, who have been a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his love, ever taking thought for you in his prayers, that you may be complete and fully certain of all the purpose of God.

For I give witness of him that he has undergone much trouble for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.