The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians

 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.