1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy

our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ [that are] at Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3. We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying

always for you,

4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye

have toward all the saints,

5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye

heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

6 which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing

fruit and increasing, as [it doth] in you also, since the day ye heard and

knew the grace of God in truth;

7 even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a

faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

8 who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

9. For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to

pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of

his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10 to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every

good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto

all patience and longsuffering with joy;

12. giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the

inheritance of the saints in light;

13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into

the kingdom of the Son of his love;

14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:

15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;

16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth,

things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or

principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and

unto him;

17 and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.

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.

19 For it was the good pleasure [of the Father] that in him should all

the fulness dwell;

20 and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made

peace through the blood of his cross; through him, [I say], whether things

upon the earth, or things in the heavens.

21 And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your

evil works,

22 yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to

present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:

23 if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not

moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached

in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part

that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his

body's sake, which is the church;

25 whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God

which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,

26 [even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but

now hath it been manifested to his saints,

27 to whom God was pleased 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:

28 whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all

wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

29 whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which

worketh in me mightily.

1. For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you, and for them at

Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2 that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love,

and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may

know the mystery of God, [even] Christ,

3 in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.

4. This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.

5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit,

joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in

Christ.

6 As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in him,

7 rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye

were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8 Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through

his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the

rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:

9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,

10 and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and

power:

11 in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with

hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of

Christ;

12 having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised

with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13. And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of

your flesh, you, [I say], did he make alive together with him, having

forgiven us all our trespasses;

14 having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us,

which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to

the cross;

15 having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of

them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of

a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:

17 which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.

18 Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and

worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen,

vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19 and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied

and knit together through the joints and bands, increasing with the

increase of God.

20 If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though

living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,

21 Handle not, nor taste, nor touch

22 (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts

and doctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and

humility, and severity to the body; [but are] not of any value against the

indulgence of the flesh.

1. If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are

above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.

2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are

upon the earth.

3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, [who is] our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also

with him be manifested in glory.

5. Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth:

fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is

idolatry;

6 for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of

disobedience:

7 wherein ye also once walked, when ye lived in these things;

8. but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing,

shameful speaking out of your mouth:

9 lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with

his doings,

10 and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge

after the image of him that created him:

11 where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision,

barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.

12. Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of

compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;

13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a

complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:

14 and above all these things [put on] love, which is the bond of

perfectness.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye

were called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and

admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs,

singing with grace in your hearts unto God.

17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, [do] all in the name of the

Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

18. Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

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

20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing

in the Lord.

21 Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.

22 Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to

the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of

heart, fearing the Lord:

23 whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;

24 knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the

inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ.

25 For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath

done: and there is no respect of persons.

1. Masters, render unto your servants that which is just and equal;

knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

2. Continue stedfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;

3 withal praying for us also, that God may open unto us a door for the

word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds;

4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

5. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may

know how ye ought to answer each one.

7. All my affairs shall Tychicus make known unto you, the beloved brother

and faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord:

8 whom I have sent you for this very purpose, that ye may know our state,

and that he may comfort your hearts;

9 together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of

you. They shall make known unto you all things that [are done] here.

10 Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner saluteth you, and Mark, the cousin of

Barnabas (touching whom ye received commandments; if he come unto you,

receive him),

11 and Jesus that is called Justus, who are of the circumcision: these

only [are my] fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God, men that have been a

comfort unto me.

12 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.

13 For I bear him witness, that he hath much labor for you, and for them

in Laodicea, and for them in Hierapolis.

14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas salute you.

15 Salute the brethren that are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church

that is in their house.

16 And when this epistle hath been read among you, cause that it be read

also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye also read the epistle

from Laodicea.

17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast

received in the the Lord, that thou fulfil it.

18 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. Remember my bonds. Grace

be with you.