Colossians 1:8-24

King James Version

⁸Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

⁹For 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 knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

¹⁰That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

¹¹Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

¹²Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

¹³Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

¹⁴In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

¹⁵Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

¹⁶For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

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

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

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

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

²¹And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

²²In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

²³If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope 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;

²⁴Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

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Colossians 1:8-24

New International Version

⁸and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.^(A)

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you,^(B) we have not stopped praying for you.^(C) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will^(D) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^[a]^(E) ¹⁰so that you may live a life worthy^(F) of the Lord and please him^(G) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,^(H) ¹¹being strengthened with all power^(I) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,^(J) ¹²and giving joyful thanks to the Father,^(K) who has qualified you^[b] to share in the inheritance^(L) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.^(M) ¹³For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness^(N) and brought us into the kingdom^(O) of the Son he loves,^(P) ¹⁴in whom we have redemption,^(Q) the forgiveness of sins.^(R)

The Supremacy of the Son of God

¹⁵The Son is the image^(S) of the invisible God,^(T) the firstborn^(U) over all creation. ¹⁶For in him all things were created:^(V) things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;^(W) all things have been created through him and for him.^(X) ¹⁷He is before all things,^(Y) and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head^(Z) of the body, the church;^(AA) he is the beginning and the firstborn^(AB) from among the dead,^(AC) so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹For God was pleased^(AD) to have all his fullness^(AE) dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile^(AF) to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,^(AG) by making peace^(AH) through his blood,^(AI) shed on the cross.

²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies^(AJ) in your minds^(AK) because of^[c] your evil behavior. ²²But now he has reconciled^(AL) you by Christ’s physical body^(AM) through death to present you^(AN) holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation^(AO)— ²³if you continue^(AP) in your faith, established^(AQ) and firm, and do not move from the hope^(AR) held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,^(AS) and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.^(AT)

Paul’s Labor for the Church

²⁴Now I rejoice^(AU) in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,^(AV) for the sake of his body, which is the church.^(AW)

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Footnotes

Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
Colossians 1:21 Or minds, as shown by

Colossians 1:8-24

English Standard Version

⁸and has made known to us your ^(A)love in the Spirit.

⁹And so, ^(B)from the day we heard, ^(C)we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that ^(D)you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all ^(E)spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so as ^(F)to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^(G)fully pleasing to him: ^(H)bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹^(I)being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for ^(J)all endurance and patience ^(K)with joy; ¹²^(L)giving thanks^[a] to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in ^(M)the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³He ^(N)has delivered us from ^(O)the domain of darkness and transferred us to ^(P)the kingdom of ^(Q)his beloved Son, ¹⁴^(R)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

¹⁵^(S)He is the image of ^(T)the invisible God, ^(U)the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by^[c] him all things were created, ^(V)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(W)thrones or ^(X)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created ^(Y)through him and for him. ¹⁷And ^(Z)he is before all things, and in him all things ^(AA)hold together. ¹⁸And ^(AB)he is the head of the body, the church. He is ^(AC)the beginning, ^(AD)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹For ^(AE)in him all the ^(AF)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and ^(AG)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, ^(AH)making peace ^(AI)by the blood of his cross.

²¹^(AJ)And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, ^(AK)doing evil deeds, ²²he has now reconciled ^(AL)in his body of flesh by his death, ^(AM)in order to present you holy and blameless and ^(AN)above reproach before him, ²³^(AO)if indeed you continue in the faith, ^(AP)stable and steadfast, not shifting from ^(AQ)the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed ^(AR)in all creation^[d] under heaven, ^(AS)and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Paul's Ministry to the Church

²⁴Now ^(AT)I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(AU)I am filling up ^(AV)what is lacking in Christ's afflictions ^(AW)for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

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Footnotes

Colossians 1:12 Or patience, with joy giving thanks
Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
Colossians 1:16 That is, by means of; or in
Colossians 1:23 Or to every creature

Colossians 1:8-24

New King James Version

⁸who also declared to us your ^(A)love in the Spirit.

Preeminence of Christ

⁹^(B)For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask ^(C)that you may be filled with ^(D)the knowledge of His will ^(E)in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰^(F)that you may walk worthy of the Lord, ^(G)fully pleasing Him, ^(H)being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the ^(I)knowledge of God; ¹¹^(J)strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, ^(K)for all patience and longsuffering ^(L)with joy; ¹²^(M)giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of ^(N)the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³He has delivered us from ^(O)the power of darkness ^(P)and ^[a]conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴^(Q)in whom we have redemption ^[b]through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

¹⁵He is ^(R)the image of the invisible God, ^(S)the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For ^(T)by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or ^(U)dominions or ^[c]principalities or ^[d]powers. All things were created ^(V)through Him and for Him. ¹⁷^(W)And He is before all things, and in Him ^(X)all things consist. ¹⁸And ^(Y)He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, ^(Z)the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Reconciled in Christ

¹⁹For it pleased the Father that ^(AA)in Him all the fullness should dwell, ²⁰and ^(AB)by Him to reconcile ^(AC)all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, ^(AD)having made peace through the blood of His cross.

²¹And you, ^(AE)who once were alienated and enemies in your mind ^(AF)by wicked works, yet now He has ^(AG)reconciled ²²^(AH)in the body of His flesh through death, ^(AI)to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— ²³if indeed you continue ^(AJ)in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are ^(AK)not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, ^(AL)which was preached to every creature under heaven, ^(AM)of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Sacrificial Service for Christ

²⁴^(AN)I now rejoice in my sufferings ^(AO)for you, and fill up in my flesh ^(AP)what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for ^(AQ)the sake of His body, which is the church,

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Footnotes

Colossians 1:13 transferred
Colossians 1:14 NU, M omit through His blood
Colossians 1:16 rulers
Colossians 1:16 authorities

Colossians 1:8-24

New American Standard Bible

⁸and he also informed us of your ^(A)love in the Spirit.

⁹For this reason we also, ^(B)since the day we heard about it, ^(C)have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the ^[a]^(D)knowledge of His will in all spiritual ^(E)wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so that you will ^(F)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^[b]^(G)to please Him in all respects, ^(H)bearing fruit in every good work and ^[c]increasing in the ^[d]knowledge of God; ¹¹^(I)strengthened with all power, according to ^[e]His glorious might, ^[f]for the attaining of all perseverance and ^[g]patience; ^(J)joyously ¹²giving thanks to ^(K)the Father, who has qualified us ^[h]to share in ^(L)the inheritance of the ^[i]saints in ^(M)light.

The Incomparable Christ

¹³^[j]For He rescued us from the ^[k]^(N)domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of ^[l]^(O)His beloved Son, ¹⁴^(P)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

¹⁵^[m]He is the ^(Q)image of the ^(R)invisible God, the ^(S)firstborn of all creation: ¹⁶for ^[n]^(T)by Him all things were created, ^(U)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(V)thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—^(W)all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷He ^[o]^(X)is before all things, and in Him all things ^[p]hold together. ¹⁸He is also the ^(Y)head of ^(Z)the body, the church; and He is ^(AA)the beginning, ^(AB)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹For ^[q]it was ^(AC)the Father’s good pleasure for all ^(AD)the ^[r]fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰and through Him to ^(AE)reconcile all things to Himself, ^(AF)whether things on earth or things in ^[s]heaven, having made ^(AG)peace through ^(AH)the blood of His cross.

²¹And although you were ^(AI)previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, ²²yet He has now ^(AJ)reconciled you in His ^(AK)body of flesh through death, in order to ^(AL)present you before Him ^(AM)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— ²³if indeed you continue in ^[t]the faith firmly ^(AN)established and steadfast, and not shifting from the ^(AO)hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed ^(AP)in all creation under heaven, ^(AQ)and of which I, Paul, ^[u]was made a ^[v]^(AR)minister.

²⁴^(AS)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(AT)I am supplementing what is lacking ^[w]in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of ^(AU)His body, which is the church.

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Footnotes

Colossians 1:9 Or real knowledge
Colossians 1:10 Lit unto all pleasing
Colossians 1:10 Or growing by the knowledge
Colossians 1:10 Or real knowledge
Colossians 1:11 Lit the might of His glory
Colossians 1:11 Lit unto all
Colossians 1:11 Or patience with joy
Colossians 1:12 Lit unto the portion of
Colossians 1:12 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
Colossians 1:13 Lit Who rescued
Colossians 1:13 Lit authority
Colossians 1:13 Lit the Son of His love
Colossians 1:15 Lit Who is
Colossians 1:16 Or in
Colossians 1:17 Or has existed prior to
Colossians 1:17 Or endure
Colossians 1:19 Or all the fullness was pleased to dwell
Colossians 1:19 I.e., fullness of deity
Colossians 1:20 Lit the heavens
Colossians 1:23 Or in faith
Colossians 1:23 Lit became
Colossians 1:23 Or servant
Colossians 1:24 Lit of

King James Version (KJV)

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New International Version (NIV)

Colossians 1:8-24

King James Version