For this cause [I bend my knees], I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you gentiles;

to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which hath been hidden for ages in God, who created all things;

according to his purpose for ages, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord;

Wherefore I entreat you not to be disheartened by the troubles I am suffering for you, since they are your glory.

For this cause I bend my knees to the Father,

to him be the glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

He who descended is the same as he who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

for the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministration, for the building up of the body of Christ;

that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and borne about by every wind of teaching, through the dishonest tricks of men, and their cunning in the wily arts of error;

Wherefore having put away falsehood, speak truth every one with his neighbor; for we are members one of another.

Let no foul language proceed out of your mouth, but whatever is good for edification, as the need may be, that it may benefit the hearers;

and walk in love, as Christ also loved you, and gave himself for you an offering and a sacrifice to God, of a sweet odor.

For of this ye are sure, since ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let no one deceive you with vain words; for because of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the sons of disobedience.

For ye were once darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth,

For the things done in secret by them it is a shame even to speak of.

But all things, when reproved, are made manifest by the light; for whatever maketh manifest is light.

buying up for yourselves opportunities, because the days are evil.

giving thanks always for all things to God, the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.

for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church,he, who is the Saviour of the body.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it,

for no one ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ doth the church;

for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

"For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh."

Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right.

Bondservants, obey your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as serving Christ;

knowing that whatever good each one shall have done, that shall he receive from the Lord, whether he be bondman or free.

for our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the worldrulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of evil in the heavenly regions.

praying with all prayer and entreaty at all times in the Spirit; and watching to this end with all perseverance and entreaty for all the saints,

and for me, that utterance may be given me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that ye may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.

always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy

even as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, all of you being sharers of the grace bestowed on me.

For God is my witness how much I long for you all in the tender affection of Christ Jesus.

and that the great part of the brethren, made confident in the Lord by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

They who are of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel;

For I know that this will turn out to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

but I am held in a strait by the two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; for it is far better;

but to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

And being persuaded of this, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your advancement and joy in your faith,

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or remain absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving together for the faith of the gospel,

for to you it was given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but in his behalf to suffer also;

So then, my beloved, as ye always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

For the same reason, do ye also rejoice, and rejoice with me.

For I have no one likeminded, who will have a true concern for your state;

for all of them are seeking their own things, not those of Christ Jesus.

But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son serves a father, he served with me for the gospel.

for he was longing after you all, and was much troubled, because ye heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick near to death; but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord; to write the same things to you, to me is not burdensome, and for you it is safe.

For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

though I myself have reason for confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath reason for confidence in the flesh, I more;

But whatever things were gain to me, those for the sake of Christ I have counted but loss.

Nay more, I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, that I may gain Christ,

Not that I have already obtained, or have been already perfected; but I press on, if I may also lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Brethren, be ye followers together of me, and mark those who walk as ye have us for an example.

For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ;

For the country of which we are citizens is heaven, whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Therefore, my brethren, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at length ye have revived again in your care for my welfare; for which indeed ye cared before, but lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak on account of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.

for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again to my necessity.

Not that I seek for such a gift, but I do seek for fruit that may abound to your account.

Now to God, our Father, be glory for ever. Amen.

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

on account of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

On this account we also, from the day we heard of it, cease not to pray for you, and to ask that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

for in him were created all things, those in the heavens, and those on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things have been created through him and for him;

for God was pleased that in him all the fullness should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up instead that which is wanting of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh on behalf of his body, which is the church;

of which I became a minister, according to the stewardship which God entrusted to me, for you, to fulfill the word of God,

the mystery which hath been hidden for ages and generations, but hath been now revealed to his saints;

For I would have you know what a great struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

For though I am absent in the flesh, yet in the spirit I am with you, rejoicing and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,

which things have indeed a show of wisdom in willworship and humiliation and severity to the body, not in any honor for the satisfying of the flesh.

For ye died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God;

Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is wellpleasing in the Lord.

For he that doeth wrong, shall receive back the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons.

praying at the same time for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for the sake of which I am also in bonds;

whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that he may know your condition, and comfort your hearts;

and Jesus, who is called Justus; who are of the circumcision; these only are my fellowworkers for the kingdom of God, who have been an encouragement unto me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.

For I bear him witness, that he hath much labor for you, and those that are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

because the gospel preached by us came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; as ye well know what sort of persons we became among you for your sake.

For from you the word of the Lord hath sounded forth not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God hath become known; so that we need not say anything [about you].

For they themselves are reporting concerning us what kind of reception we had among you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God,

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the coming wrath.

For ye yourselves know, brethren, that our coming among you hath not been in vain;

For our teaching is not from error, nor from impurity, nor in guile;

For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness;

so having a strong affection for you, we were willing to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, but also our own souls, because ye became dear to us.

For ye remember, brethren, our labor and toil, how laboring night and day, that we might not be burdensome to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received the word of God which ye heard from us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also is powerfully working in you that believe.