3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you, 4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in the heavens, which you heard before in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you, just as it is bearing fruit [and growing]^c in the whole world, as it is also among you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

7 Just as you [[also]]^d learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on {your}^e behalf, 8 and who also made known to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this reason, we also, since the day we heard, do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 {to walk}^f worthy of the Lord, pleasing in every way, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for all endurance and patience,

With joy 12 Giving thanks to {God}^g the Father, who has qualified {you}^h for the share of the inheritance of the holy ones in the light; 13 who delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption [[through his blood]],ⁱ the forgiveness of sins;

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, 16 for in him all things were created, [[those]]^j in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him; 17 and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together,

18 And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning,^k the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything, 19 because in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell 20 and through him to reconcile all things to him, having made peace through the blood of his cross, [through him]^l whether things on earth or things in the heavens.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.

23 If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation^m under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a servant.

24 Now I rejoice in {the}ⁿ sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;

28 We proclaim this one, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person mature in Christ [[Jesus]];^o

29 For this I toil, struggling with his energy^p that powerfully works within me.