Colossians

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

1This letter is from Paul. God wanted him to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, a messenger Jesus sent out. Timothy our brother is with him.

2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2It is for God's people in the town of Colosse. They belong to Christ and stay true to him. We pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you kindness and peace.

3We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

3We thank God every time we pray for you. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

4Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

4We thank him because we heard that you trust Christ Jesus. We heard that you love all of God's people.

5For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

5Your faith and love come from what you are waiting for. God is keeping a gift safe for you in heaven. You already heard about it in the true message, the good news.

6Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

6That good news came to you. All over the world it is growing and doing good. It has done the same with you since the day you heard it. That is when you truly understood how kind God is.

7As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear friend who works beside us. He serves Christ faithfully, and he does it for you.

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

8He also told us how much you love others. God's Spirit gave you that love.

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;

9So we have not stopped praying for you since the day we heard. We ask God to fill you with knowledge of what he wants. We ask him to make you wise and understanding in every way.

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

10Then you will live the way the Lord wants. You will please him in everything you do. You will do all kinds of good work. And you will know God better and better.

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

11We pray that God's great power makes you strong. Then you can keep going when things are hard. You can wait patiently, and still be full of joy.

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

12And you can thank the Father. He has made you ready to share the gift he keeps for his people, who live in his light.

Note"Made us meet" in the old wording does not mean "met us." It means made us ready, or fit to receive something.

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

13He has rescued us from the power of darkness. He has carried us over into the kingdom of his dear Son.

Note"Translated" in the old wording does not mean changing words from one language to another. It means moved or carried from one place to another.

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

14The Son paid to set us free. Through him our sins are forgiven.

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

15The Son shows us what God is like, and God cannot be seen. He is the firstborn, over everything that was made.

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:

16God made everything through him. He made what is in heaven and what is on earth. He made what we can see and what we cannot see. Every throne, every ruler, and every power was made through him. All of it was made through him and for him.

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

17He was there before anything else. He holds everything together.

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.

18He is the head of the body, which is the church, his people. He is the beginning. He was the first to rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.

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

19God was pleased for everything that God is to live in his Son.

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.

20God made peace by his Son's blood on the cross. Through his Son he brought everything back to himself. That means things on earth and things in heaven.

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

21In the past you were far away from God. In your minds you were his enemies, and you did bad things.

Note"Sometime" in the old wording means "at one time" or "in the past," not "once in a while."

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

22But now God has brought you back to himself. He did this through his Son's own body, when Jesus died. Now God can bring you before him holy and clean, with nothing against you.

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;

23This holds true if you keep trusting him, standing firm and steady. Do not let anyone move you away from the hope in the good news. You heard that news, and it has been told to people everywhere under heaven. I, Paul, work as a servant of that good news.

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:

24I am glad even when I suffer for you. Christ suffered, and some troubles are still left to bear. I take my share of them in my own body, for his people, the church.

Note"That which is behind" in the old wording means what is still left over, or what is still missing.

25Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

25I serve the church. God gave me this job for you: to tell his message in full.

26Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

26That message was a secret. God kept it hidden for many long years. Now he has shown it to his people.

27To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

27God chose to show them how rich and full of glory this secret is. It is for people who are not Jewish too. Here it is: Christ lives in you. He is your hope of glory.

28Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

28So we tell everyone about him. We warn everyone and teach everyone as wisely as we can. We want to bring each person to God, fully grown and complete in Christ Jesus.

29Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

29That is the work I do. I work hard at it, with the strong power Christ gives me.