to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father.

even as ye learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for us a faithful minister of Christ,

who also made known to us your love in the Spirit.

giving thanks to the Father, Who made us meet for the portion of the inheritance of the saints in light;

Who delivered us out of the dominion of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love;

in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins;

Who is the image of the invisible God, Primal Source of all creation;

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;

to whom God willed 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;

Whom we proclaim, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

in Whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden away.

Beware, lest there should be any one who makes a spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceits, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ;

and ye have been made complete in Him, Who is the Head of all principality and power;

in Whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hand, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

having been buried with Him in your immersion, in which ye were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead;

and not holding fast the Head from Whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increases with the increase of God.

and having put on the new man who is being renewed unto full knowledge, according to the image of Him Who created him;

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;

together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is from among you; they will make known to you all things here.

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

and Jesus, who is called Justus, who are of the circumcision: these only are my fellow-workers in the interests of the Kingdom of God, who, indeed, became a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is from among you, salutes you, a servant of Christ Jesus, always striving in your behalf in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.