Colossians 1

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 From Paul, by the wil of God an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy	1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, a brother,
2 to God's holy people in Colossae, our faithful brothers in Christ. Grace and peace to you from God ourFather.	2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus, who are at Colossa.
3 We give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, continual y in our prayers,	3 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.
4 ever since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you show towards all God's holypeople	4 Hearing your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which you have towards all the saints.
5 because of the hope which is stored up for you in heaven. News of this hope reached you not long agothrough the word of truth, the gospel	5 For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6 that came to you in the same way as it is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world. It has had thesame effect among you, ever since you heard about the grace of God and recognised it for what it truly is.	6 Which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world, and bringeth forth fruit and groweth, even as it doth in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.
7 This you learnt from Epaphras, our very dear fel ow-worker and a trustworthy deputy for us as Christ'sservant,	7 As you learned of Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus;
8 and it was he who also told us all about your love in the Spirit.	8 Who also hath manifested to us your love in the spirit.
9 That is why, ever since the day he told us, we have never failed to remember you in our prayers and askthat through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding you should reach the ful est knowledge of his will	9 Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you, and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding:
10 and so be able to lead a life worthy of the Lord, a life acceptable to him in all its aspects, bearing fruit in every kind of good work and growing in knowledge of God,	10 That you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing; being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God:
11 fortified, in accordance with his glorious strength, with al power always to persevere and endure,	11 Strengthened with all might, according to the power of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy,
12 giving thanks with joy to the Father who has made you able to share the lot of God's holy people andwith them to inherit the light.	12 Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light:
13 Because that is what he has done. It is he who has rescued us from the ruling force of darkness andtransferred us to the kingdom of the Son that he loves,	13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,
14 and in him we enjoy our freedom, the forgiveness of sin.	14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins;
15 He is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of al creation,	15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible,thrones, ruling forces, sovereignties, powers -- al things were created through him and for him.	16 For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and in him.
17 He exists before al things and in him al things hold together,	17 And he is before all, and by him all things consist.
18 and he is the Head of the Body, that is, the Church. He is the Beginning, the first-born from the dead,so that he should be supreme in every way;	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 may hold the primacy:
19 because God wanted al ful ness to be found in him	19 Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father, that all fullness should dwell;
20 and through him to reconcile al things to him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, by makingpeace through his death on the cross.	20 And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven.
21 You were once estranged and of hostile intent through your evil behaviour;	21 And you, whereas you were some time alienated and enemies in mind in evil works:
22 now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body, to bring you before himself holy,faultless and irreproachable-	22 Yet now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unspotted, and blameless before him:
23 as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves driftaway from the hope promised by the gospel, which you have heard, which has been preached to every creatureunder heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become the servant.	23 If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immoveable from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the creation that is under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister.
24 It makes me happy to be suffering for you now, and in my own body to make up all the hardships thatstill have to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church,	24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:
25 of which I was made a servant with the responsibility towards you that God gave to me, that ofcompleting God's message,	25 Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given me towards you, that I may fulfil the word of God:
26 the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed tohis holy people.	26 The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to his saints,
27 It was God's purpose to reveal to them how rich is the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; it isChrist among you, your hope of glory:	27 To whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, in you the hope of glory.
28 this is the Christ we are proclaiming, admonishing and instructing everyone in all wisdom, to makeeveryone perfect in Christ.	28 Whom we preach, admonishing every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 And it is for this reason that I labour, striving with his energy which works in me mightily.	29 Wherein also I labour, striving according to his working which he worketh in me in power.