Colossians

Because of this, we also from the day we heard do not cease praying for you⁺ and asking that you⁺ may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding

to walk worthily of the Lord: pleasing in all, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God,

being empowered with all power according to the power of His glory unto all endurance and patience, with joy

giving thanks to the Father, the One having qualified you⁺ for the share of the inheritance of the saints in the light,

who delivered us from the authority of darkness and transferred [us] into the kingdom of His beloved Son,

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

[He] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,

because in Him were created all things in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.

And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, firstborn out from the dead, so that He might be having preeminence in all things,

because all the fullness was well pleased to dwell in Him,

and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross through Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.

And you⁺, being once alienated and enemies in the mind, in the evil works—

but now He has reconciled [you] in His body of flesh through death, to present you⁺ holy and unblemished and blameless before Him,

Now I rejoice in the sufferings for you⁺, and I am filling up that which is lacking of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh for His body, which is the church,

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, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ.

that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God: Christ,

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

because in Him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily.

And you⁺ are made complete in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority,

in whom also you⁺ were circumcised with the circumcision done without hands in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ,

having been buried with Him in baptism, in which also you⁺ were raised with [Him] through the faith from the working of God, the One having raised Him out from the dead.

And you⁺ being dead in the trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your⁺ flesh, He made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all the trespasses,

having blotted out the handwriting in the decrees against us, which was adverse to us. And He has taken it out of the midst, having nailed it to the cross.

Having divested the rulers and the authorities, He made a show [of them] in public, having triumphed over them in it.

Therefore let no one judge you⁺ in food or in drink or in the part of a feast or of a New Moon or of Sabbaths,

which are a shadow the things about to be; but the body [is] of the Christ.

Let no one disqualify you⁺, delighting in humility and worship of the angels, going into what he has seen, vainly being puffed up by the mind of his flesh,

and not holding fast to the head, from whom all the body, being supplied and being knit together by the joints and ligaments, grows with the growth of God.

If you⁺ died with Christ, away from the elements of the world, why, as if living in the world, are you⁺ subject to decrees:

“You should not handle! You should not taste! You should not touch!”—

which are all unto decay with the use, according to the precepts and teachings of men,

which, having indeed a word of wisdom in self-willed worship and humility and harsh treatment of the body, are not in any value toward the indulgence of the flesh.

If, then, you⁺ were raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

Mind the things above, not the things on the earth.

For you⁺ died, and your⁺ life has been hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ, your⁺ life, shall appear, then you⁺ also will appear with Him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, the members that [are] upon the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry,

because of which things the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience,

in which you⁺ also walked once when you⁺ were living in them.

But now you⁺ also put off all [these] things: wrath, rage, malice, slander, shameful talk out of your⁺ mouth.

Do not lie to one another, having put off the old man with his practices,

and having put on the new, the one being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the One having created him,

Put on, therefore, as the chosen ones of God, holy and beloved, inner parts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving each other, if anyone may have a complaint toward another. Just as also the Lord forgave you⁺, so also you⁺.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your⁺ hearts, to which also you⁺ were called in one body. And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you⁺ richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other in psalms, hymns, [and] spiritual songs, in grace singing in your⁺ hearts to God.

And everything, whatever you⁺ may do in word or in work, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Wives, submit yourselves to [your] husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Husbands, love [your] wives and do not be bitter toward them.

Children, obey [your] parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your⁺ children, so that they may not become discouraged.

Masters, provide to [your] slaves that which [is] right and that which [is] equal, knowing that you⁺ also have a Master in heaven.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching in it in thanksgiving,

praying at the same time also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, on account of which also I have been bound,

Let your⁺ word [be] always in grace, having been seasoned with salt, to know how it is necessary for you⁺ to answer each one.

Epaphras greets you⁺, who [is] of you⁺, a servant of Christ Jesus, always striving for you⁺ in the prayers, so that you⁺ may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.

And when the letter may be read among you⁺, cause that it may be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you⁺ also may read the one from Laodicea.