1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have toward all the saints, 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News 6 which has come to you, even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth, 7 even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, 11 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, 14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. 18 He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

21 You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds, 22 yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him, 23 if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly, 25 of which I was made a servant according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints, 27 to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; 29 for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

1 Paulus, 'n apostel van Jesus Christus deur die wil van God, en die broeder Timothes,

2 aan die heilige en gelowige broeders in Christus wat in Kolosse is: Genade vir julle en vrede van God onse Vader en die Here Jesus Christus!

3 Ons dank die God en Vader van onse Here Jesus Christus altyd as ons vir julle bid,

4 omdat ons gehoor het van julle geloof in Christus Jesus en julle liefde tot al die heiliges,

5 vanweë die hoop wat vir julle weggelê is in die hemele, waarvan julle vroeër gehoor het deur die woord van die waarheid van die evangelie,

6 wat julle sowel as die hele wêreld bereik het; en dit dra vrug, net soos onder julle ook, van die dag af dat julle dit gehoor het en die genade van God in waarheid leer ken het;

7 soos julle ook geleer het van pafras, ons geliefde mededienskneg, wat 'n getroue dienaar van Christus vir julle is,

8 wat ook julle liefde in die Gees aan ons te kenne gegee het.

9 Daarom hou ons ook nie op nie, van die dag af dat ons dit gehoor het, om vir julle te bid en te vra dat julle vervul mag word met die kennis van sy wil in alle wysheid en geestelike insig,

10 sodat julle waardiglik voor die Here mag wandel om Hom in alles te behaag en julle in elke goeie werk vrug mag dra en in die kennis van God mag groei,

11 en met alle krag bekragtig word volgens die mag van sy heerlikheid tot alle lydsaamheid en lankmoedigheid met blydskap,

12 en die Vader mag dank wat ons bekwaam gemaak het om deel te hê aan die erfdeel van die heiliges in die lig --

13 Hy wat ons verlos het uit die mag van die duisternis en oorgebring het in die koninkryk van die Seun van sy liefde,

14 in wie ons die verlossing het deur sy bloed, naamlik die vergifnis van die sondes.

15 Hy is die Beeld van die onsienlike God, die Eersgeborene van die hele skepping;

16 want in Hom is alle dinge geskape wat in die hemele en op die aarde is, wat sienlik en onsienlik is, trone sowel as heerskappye en owerhede en magte -- alle dinge is deur Hom en tot Hom geskape.

17 En Hy is voor alle dinge, en in Hom hou alle dinge stand.

18 En Hy is die Hoof van die liggaam, naamlik die gemeente; Hy wat die begin is, die Eersgeborene uit die dode, sodat Hy in alles die eerste kan wees.

19 Want dit het die Vader behaag dat in Hom die ganse volheid sou woon

20 en dat Hy deur Hom alles met Homself sou versoen nadat Hy vrede gemaak het deur die bloed van sy kruis -- ek sê deur Hom -- die dinge op die aarde sowel as die dinge in die hemele.

21 Ook julle wat vroeër vervreemd was en vyandig gesind deur die bose werke, het Hy nou versoen

22 in die liggaam van sy vlees deur die dood, om julle heilig en sonder gebrek en onberispelik voor Hom te stel;

23 as julle ten minste gegrond en vas bly in die geloof en julle nie laat afbring van die hoop van die evangelie nie, wat julle gehoor het en wat verkondig is in die ganse mensdom onder die hemel, waarvan ek, Paulus, 'n dienaar geword het.

24 Nou verbly ek my in my lyding vir julle en vul in my vlees aan die oorblyfsels van die verdrukking van Christus vir sy liggaam, wat die gemeente is;

25 waarvan ek 'n dienaar geword het volgens die bediening van God wat aan my gegee is in julle belang, om die woord van God te vervul,

26 naamlik die verborgenheid wat van die eeue en geslagte af verborge was, maar nou geopenbaar is aan sy heiliges,

27 aan wie God wou bekend maak wat die rykdom van die heerlikheid van hierdie verborgenheid onder die heidene is, dit is Christus onder julle, die hoop van die heerlikheid.

28 Hom verkondig ons, terwyl ons elke mens vermaan en elke mens in alle wysheid onderrig, om elke mens volmaak in Christus Jesus voor te stel;

29 waarvoor ek arbei en stry volgens sy werking wat in my werk met krag.