Colossians 1
1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus 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.
3. We give thanks * to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying * always for you,
4. Since we heard * of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to 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;
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:
7. As ye * also learned * of Epaphras our dear fellowservant,who is * for you a faithful minister of Christ;
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 * for you, and to desire * that ye might be filled * with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual 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;
11. Strengthened * with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12. Giving thanks * unto the Father, which hath made * us meet * to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13. Who hath delivered * us from the power of darkness, and hath translated * us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14. In whom we have * redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15. Who is * the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
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:
17. And he is * before all things, and by 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 pleased * the Father that in him should * all fulness 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.
21. And you, that were * sometime alienated * and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled *
22. In the body of his flesh through death, to present * you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
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;
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:
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;
26. Even the mystery which hath been hid * from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest * 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:
28. Whom we preach * , warning * every man, and teaching * every man in all wisdom; that we may present * every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
29. Whereunto I * also labour * , striving * according to his working, which worketh * in me mightily.
