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¹ Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus a brother,² To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colosse, grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (praying always for you,⁴ Hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of⁵ your love to all the saints) For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven,⁶ of which ye heard before in the word of truth, Which is come to you, as also it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it hath done likewise among you, from the day ye heard it, and knew the grace of God in truth:⁷ As ye likewise learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you:⁸ Who also declared to us your love in the spirit.

⁹ For this cause from the day we heard it, we do not cease to pray also for you, and to desire that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;¹⁰ That ye may walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;¹¹ Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness:

¹² Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet to partake of the inheritance of the saints in light.¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins:¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the first begotten of every creature.¹⁶ For through him were created all things, that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible; whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him and for him.¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist, And he is the head of his body the church;¹⁸ who is the beginning, the first-begotten from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.¹⁹ For it pleased the Father, that all fulness should dwell in him:²⁰ And by him to reconcile all things to himself (having made peace by him, through the blood of the cross ) whether things on earth, or things in heaven.²¹ And you that were once alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works,²² he hath now reconciled, By the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and spotless, and unreproveable in his sight:²³ If ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and are not removed from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard, which is preached to every creature that is under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister.²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ for his body, which is the church:²⁵ Of which I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which is given me for you, fully to preach the word of God:²⁶ The mystery which hath been hid from ages and generations; but now is manifested to his saints:²⁷ To whom among the Gentiles it was the will of God to make known, what is the riches of this glorious mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:²⁸ Whom we preach, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, that we may present every man perfect through Christ Jesus.²⁹ For which also I labour, striving according to his mighty working, who worketh in me mightily.