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            Colossians English Standard Version (ESV)

chapter 1

    Greeting

     1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

     2To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

     Thanksgiving and Prayer

     3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4since we heard of your

     faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5because of the hope laid up for you in

     heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6which has come to you, as

     indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing--as it also does among you, since the day you heard

     it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant.

     He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

     9And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the

     knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so as to walk in a manner worthy of the

     Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11May

     you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,

     12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13He

     has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in

     whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

     The Preeminence of Christ

     15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by him all things were created, in

     heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things

     were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And

     he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he

     might be preeminent. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile

     to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

     21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his

     body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23if

     indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you

     heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

     Paul's Ministry to the Church

     24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's

     afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25of which I became a minister according to the

     stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26the mystery

     hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27To them God chose to make known how

     great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

     28Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone

     mature in Christ. 29For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

chapter 2

     1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have

     not seen me face to face, 2that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the

     riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3in whom are

     hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I say this in order that no one may delude you with

     plausible arguments. 5For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good

     order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

     Alive in Christ

     6Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established

     in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

     8See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition,

     according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9For in him the whole fullness of

     deity dwells bodily, 10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11In him also

     you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the

     circumcision of Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him

     through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13And you, who were dead in

     your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all

     our trespasses, 14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set

     aside, nailing it to the cross. 15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by

     triumphing over them in him.

     Let No One Disqualify You

     16Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a

     new moon or a Sabbath. 17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

     18Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,

     puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole

     body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

     20If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do

     you submit to regulations-- 21"Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" 22(referring to things that all

     perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? 23These have indeed an appearance

     of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in

     stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

chapter 3

     Put on the New Self

     1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the

     right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have

     died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will

     appear with him in glory.

     5Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and

     covetousness, which is idolatry. 6On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7In these you too once

     walked, when you were living in them. 8But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander,

     and obscene talk from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with

     its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its

     creator. 11Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;

     but Christ is all, and in all.

     12Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and

     patience, 13bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as

     the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14And above all these put on love, which binds

     everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed

     you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and

     admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in

     your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

     giving thanks to God the Father through him.

     Rules for Christian Households

     18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh

     with them. 20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke

     your children, lest they become discouraged. 22Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly

     masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

     23Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will

     receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25For the wrongdoer will be paid back

     for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

chapter 4

     1Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

     Further Instructions

     2Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3At the same time, pray also for us,

     that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in

     prison-- 4that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

     5Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be

     gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

     Final Greetings

     7Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant

     in the Lord. 8I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may

     encourage your hearts, 9and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will

     tell you of everything that has taken place here.

     10Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have

     received instructions--if he comes to you, welcome him), 11and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the

     only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort

     to me. 12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf

     in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13For I bear him witness

     that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14Luke the beloved physician

     greets you, as does Demas. 15Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church

     in her house. 16And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the

     Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17And say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill

     the ministry that you have received in the Lord."

     18I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.