King James Version KJV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2
To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
3
In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
4
for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
5
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
6
that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
7
This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,
8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
8
and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
9
For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
10
so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
11
May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
12
giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
13
He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
14
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
15
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
16
for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
17
He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
18
He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
19
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
20
and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
21
And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
22
he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
23
provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
24
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
25
I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
26
the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
27
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
28
It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
29
For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.