Colossians 1

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,	1 Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, a brother,
2 to the holy ones and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.	2 to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ Jesus who are at Colossae.
3 We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,	3 Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying for you always.
4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones	4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that you have toward all the saints,
5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. Of this you have already heard through the word of truth, the gospel,	5 because of the hope that has been stored up for you in heaven, which you have heard through the Word of Truth in the Gospel.
6 that has come to you. Just as in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing, so also among you, from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth,	6 This has reached you, just as it is present in the whole world, where it grows and bears fruit, as it has also done in you, since the day when you first heard and knew the grace of God in truth,
7 as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave, who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on your behalf	7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus.
8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.	8 And he has also manifested to us your love in the Spirit.
9 Therefore, from the day we heard this, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding	9 Then, too, from the day when we first heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and requesting that you be filled with the knowledge of his will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
10 to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God,	10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of God, being pleasing in all things, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God,
11 strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy	11 being strengthened in every virtue, in accord with the power of his glory, with all patience and longsuffering, with joy,
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.	12 giving thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to have a share in the portion of the saints, in the light.
13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,	13 For he has rescued us from the power of darkness, and he has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.	14 in whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.	15 He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature.
16 For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him.	16 For in him was created everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers. All things were created through him and in him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.	17 And he is before all, and in him all things continue.
18 He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent.	18 And he is the head of his body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that in all things he may hold primacy.
19 For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,	19 For the Father is well-pleased that all fullness reside in him,
20 and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross (through him), whether those on earth or those in heaven.	20 and that, through him, all things be reconciled to himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, for the things that are on earth, as well as the things that are in heaven.
21 And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds	21 And you, though you had been, in times past, understood to be foreigners and enemies, with works of evil,
22 he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him,	22 yet now he has reconciled you, by his body of flesh, through death, so as to offer you, holy and immaculate and blameless, before him.
23 provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.	23 So then, continue in the faith: well-founded and steadfast and immovable, by the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which has been preached throughout all creation under heaven, the Gospel of which I, Paul, have become a minister.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church,	24 For now I rejoice in my passion on your behalf, and I complete in my flesh the things that are lacking in the Passion of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the Church.
25 of which I am a minister in accordance with God's stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God,	25 For I have become a minister of the Church, according to the dispensation of God that has been given to me among you, so that I may fulfill the Word of God,
26 the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,	26 the mystery which had remained hidden to past ages and generations, but which now is manifested to his saints.
27 to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.	27 To them, God willed to made known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ and the hope of his glory within you.
28 It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.	28 We are announcing him, correcting every man and teaching every man, with all wisdom, so that we may offer every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 For this I labor and struggle, in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.	29 In him, too, I labor, striving according to his action within me, which he works in virtue.