From www.ebible.org with slight reformatting by Martin Ward. Book 51 Colossians 001:001 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 001:002 to the saints and faithful brothers{The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."} in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 001:003 We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 001:004 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all the saints, 001:005 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, 001:006 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; 001:007 even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 001:008 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. 001:009 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, 001:010 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; 001:011 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy; 001:012 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 001:013 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love; 001:014 in whom we have our redemption,{TR adds "through his blood,"} the forgiveness of our sins; 001:015 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 001:016 For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him. 001:017 He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. 001:018 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. 001:019 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; 001:020 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. 001:021 You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind