having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that [is] to all the saints,

because of the hope that is laid up for you in the heavens, which ye heard of before in the word of the truth of the good news,

which is present to you, as also in all the world, and is bearing fruit, as also in you, from the day in which ye heard, and knew the grace of God in truth;

as ye also learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful ministrant of the Christ,

to your walking worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, in every good work being fruitful, and increasing to the knowledge of God,

who is the image of the invisible God, first-born of all creation,

and himself is before all, and the all things in him have consisted.

And himself is the head of the body -- the assembly -- who is a beginning, a first-born out of the dead, that he might become in all [things] -- himself -- first,

if also ye remain in the faith, being founded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the good news, which ye heard, which was preached in all the creation that [is] under the heaven, of which I became -- I Paul -- a ministrant.

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the assembly,

to whom God did will to make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations -- which is Christ in you, the hope of the glory,

for which also I labour, striving according to his working that is working in me in power.

and ye are in him made full, who is the head of all principality and authority,

having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances that is against us, that was contrary to us, and he hath taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;

which are a shadow of the coming things, and the body [is] of the Christ;

If, then, ye were raised with the Christ, the things above seek ye, where the Christ is, on the right hand of God seated,

Put to death, then, your members that [are] upon the earth -- whoredom, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and the covetousness, which is idolatry --

and having put on the new, which is renewed in regard to knowledge, after the image of Him who did create him;

where there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, foreigner, Scythian, servant, freeman -- but the all and in all -- Christ.

and above all these things, [have] love, which is a bond of the perfection,

and all, whatever ye may do in word or in work, [do] all things in the name of the Lord Jesus -- giving thanks to the God and Father, through him.

The wives! be subject to your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord;

the children! obey the parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord;

and all, whatever ye may do -- out of soul work -- as to the Lord, and not to men,

and he who is doing unrighteously shall receive what he did unrighteously, and there is no acceptance of persons.