CHAPTER 1

Redemption comes through Christ—He created all things, is in the image of God, and is the Firstborn of the Father.

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 afaith• in Christ Jesus, and of the blove• which ye have to all the saints,

5 For the ahope• which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the bgospel;

6 Which is come unto you, aas• it is in all the world; and bringeth forth bfruit•, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the cgrace of God in truth:

7 As ye also learned of aEpaphras• 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 aknowledge of his bwill in all wisdom and spiritual cunderstanding;

10 That ye might awalk bworthy of the Lord unto all cpleasing•, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the dknowledge of God;

11 aStrengthened• with all might, according to his bglorious cpower, unto all patience and longsuffering with djoyfulness•;

12 Giving athanks• unto the Father, which hath bmade• us meet to be partakers of the cinheritance• of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of adarkness•, and hath translated us into the bkingdom of his dear cSon:

14 In whom we have aredemption through his blood, even the bforgiveness of sins:

15 Who is the aimage of the invisible bGod, the cfirstborn of devery• creature:

16 For by him were all athings• bcreated, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or cprincipalities•, or powers: all things were dcreated by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things aconsist•.

18 And he is the ahead of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the bfirstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all afulness dwell;

20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to areconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

21 And you, that were asometime• balienated• and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22 In the body of his flesh through adeath, to present you holy and bunblameable• and unreproveable in his sight:

23 If ye acontinue in the faith bgrounded• and settled, and be not cmoved• away from the dhope 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 aafflictions• of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the adispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

26 Even the amystery• which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made bmanifest• to his saints:

27 To whom God would make aknown• what is the briches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28 Whom we apreach, bwarning 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.

CHAPTER 2

Fulness of Godhead dwells in Christ—Beware of deceit by traditions of men—The handwriting against us was nailed to cross of Christ.

1 FOR I would that ye knew what great aconflict• I have for you, and for them at bLaodicea•, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of aunderstanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, band• of the Father, and of Christ;

3 In whom are hid all the atreasures of bwisdom• and cknowledge.

4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your aorder, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so awalk ye in him:

7 aRooted• and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with bthanksgiving.

8 Beware lest any man aspoil• you through bphilosophy• and vain cdeceit, after the dtradition of men, after the rudiments of the eworld, and not after Christ.

9 For in him dwelleth all the afulness of the Godhead bodily.

10 And ye are acomplete• in him, which is the head of all bprincipality• and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the acircumcision made without hands, in putting off the bbody• of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 aBuried with him in bbaptism, wherein also ye are crisen• with him through the faith of the doperation• of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he aquickened• together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 aBlotting• out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16 Let no man therefore ajudge• you in bmeat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the csabbath days:

17 Which are a ashadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18 Let no man abeguile• you of your reward in a voluntary bhumility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19 And not holding the aHead•, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

20 Wherefore if ye be adead• with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to bordinances,

21 (aTouch• not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the acommandments• and bdoctrines• of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

CHAPTER 3

Some lives are hid with God in Christ—Saints exhorted to be holy and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 IF ye then be arisen• with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your aaffection• on bthings• cabove•, not on things on the dearth.

3 For ye are adead•, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is our alife•, shall bappear•, then shall ye also appear with him in cglory•.

5 aMortify• therefore your bmembers• which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, cinordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and dcovetousness, which is eidolatry:

6 For which things’ sake the awrath of God cometh on the children of bdisobedience:

7 In the which ye also walked asome• time, when ye lived in them.

8 But now ye also aput• off all these; banger, wrath, cmalice, dblasphemy, filthy ecommunication out of your mouth.

9 aLie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the bold• man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the anew man, which is renewed in knowledge after the bimage• of him that ccreated him:

11 Where there is neither aGreek• nor Jew, bcircumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as the aelect of God, holy and beloved, bbowels• of cmercies, dkindness, ehumbleness of mind, fmeekness, longsuffering;

13 aForbearing one another, and bforgiving• one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on acharity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the apeace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye bthankful.

16 Let the aword• of Christ dwell in you richly in all bwisdom; cteaching and admonishing one another in psalms and dhymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, ado• all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving bthanks• to God and the Father by him.

18 aWives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

19 aHusbands, blove your wives, and be not bitter against them.

20 aChildren, bobey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

21 aFathers, bprovoke not your children to canger, lest they be discouraged.

22 aServants•, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in bsingleness of heart, cfearing God:

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it aheartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall areceive• the breward of the cinheritance: for ye dserve• the Lord Christ.

25 But he that doeth awrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no brespect• of persons.

CHAPTER 4

Saints exhorted to be wise in all things—Luke and others salute the Colossians.

1 aMASTERS•, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a bMaster• in cheaven.

2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a adoor• of utterance, 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 aWalk in bwisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

6 Let your aspeech be alway with grace, seasoned with bsalt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:

8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;

9 With aOnesimus•, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.

10 aAristarchus• my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and bMarcus•, csister•’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)

11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the acircumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.

12 aEpaphras•, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great azeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.

14 Luke, the beloved physician, and aDemas•, greet you.

15 Salute the brethren which are in aLaodicea•, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the aepistle from Laodicea.

17 And say to aArchippus•, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.

18 The salutation by the ahand• of me Paul. Remember my bbonds•. Grace be with you. Amen.