Colossians 1

New International Version

1 Paul, an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B) and Timothy^(C) our brother,

²To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters^[a] in Christ:

Grace^(D) and peace to you from God our Father.^[b]^(E)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³We always thank God,^(F) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love^(G) you have for all God’s people^(H)— ⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope^(I) stored up for you in heaven^(J) and about which you have already heard in the true message^(K) of the gospel ⁶that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit^(L) and growing throughout the whole world^(M)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. ⁷You learned it from Epaphras,^(N) our dear fellow servant,^[c] who is a faithful minister^(O) of Christ on our^[d] behalf, ⁸and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.^(P)

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you,^(Q) we have not stopped praying for you.^(R) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will^(S) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^[e]^(T) ¹⁰so that you may live a life worthy^(U) of the Lord and please him^(V) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,^(W) ¹¹being strengthened with all power^(X) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,^(Y) ¹²and giving joyful thanks to the Father,^(Z) who has qualified you^[f] to share in the inheritance^(AA) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.^(AB) ¹³For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness^(AC) and brought us into the kingdom^(AD) of the Son he loves,^(AE) ¹⁴in whom we have redemption,^(AF) the forgiveness of sins.^(AG)

The Supremacy of the Son of God

¹⁵The Son is the image^(AH) of the invisible God,^(AI) the firstborn^(AJ) over all creation. ¹⁶For in him all things were created:^(AK) things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;^(AL) all things have been created through him and for him.^(AM) ¹⁷He is before all things,^(AN) and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head^(AO) of the body, the church;^(AP) he is the beginning and the firstborn^(AQ) from among the dead,^(AR) so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹For God was pleased^(AS) to have all his fullness^(AT) dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile^(AU) to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,^(AV) by making peace^(AW) through his blood,^(AX) shed on the cross.

²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies^(AY) in your minds^(AZ) because of^[g] your evil behavior. ²²But now he has reconciled^(BA) you by Christ’s physical body^(BB) through death to present you^(BC) holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation^(BD)— ²³if you continue^(BE) in your faith, established^(BF) and firm, and do not move from the hope^(BG) held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,^(BH) and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.^(BI)

Paul’s Labor for the Church

²⁴Now I rejoice^(BJ) in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,^(BK) for the sake of his body, which is the church.^(BL) ²⁵I have become its servant^(BM) by the commission God gave me^(BN) to present to you the word of God^(BO) in its fullness— ²⁶the mystery^(BP) that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. ²⁷To them God has chosen to make known^(BQ) among the Gentiles the glorious riches^(BR) of this mystery, which is Christ in you,^(BS) the hope of glory.

²⁸He is the one we proclaim, admonishing^(BT) and teaching everyone with all wisdom,^(BU) so that we may present everyone fully mature^(BV) in Christ. ²⁹To this end I strenuously^(BW) contend^(BX) with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.^(BY)

Footnotes

Colossians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15.
Colossians 1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Colossians 1:7 Or slave
Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
Colossians 1:21 Or minds, as shown by

Proverbs 30

New International Version

Sayings of Agur

30 The sayings^(A) of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God,
    but I can prevail.^[a]
²Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
    I do not have human understanding.
³I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.^(B)
⁴Who has gone up^(C) to heaven and come down?
    Whose hands^(D) have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters^(E) in a cloak?^(F)
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name,^(G) and what is the name of his son?
    Surely you know!

⁵“Every word of God is flawless;^(H)
he is a shield^(I) to those who take refuge in him.
⁶Do not add^(J) to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

⁷“Two things I ask of you, Lord;
    do not refuse me before I die:
⁸Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
    give me neither poverty nor riches,
    but give me only my daily bread.^(K)
⁹Otherwise, I may have too much and disown^(L) you
    and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’^(M)
Or I may become poor and steal,
    and so dishonor the name of my God.^(N)

¹⁰“Do not slander a servant to their master,
or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.

¹¹“There are those who curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers;^(O)
¹²those who are pure in their own eyes^(P)
    and yet are not cleansed of their filth;^(Q)
¹³those whose eyes are ever so haughty,^(R)
    whose glances are so disdainful;
¹⁴those whose teeth^(S) are swords
    and whose jaws are set with knives^(T)
to devour^(U) the poor^(V) from the earth
    and the needy from among mankind.^(W)

¹⁵“The leech has two daughters.
‘Give! Give!’ they cry.

“There are three things that are never satisfied,^(X)
    four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
¹⁶the grave,^(Y) the barren womb,
    land, which is never satisfied with water,
    and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’

¹⁷“The eye that mocks^(Z) a father,
that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
will be eaten by the vultures.^(AA)

¹⁸“There are three things that are too amazing for me,
    four that I do not understand:
¹⁹the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰“This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’^(AB)

²¹“Under three things the earth trembles,
    under four it cannot bear up:
²²a servant who becomes king,^(AC)
    a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
²³a contemptible woman who gets married,
    and a servant who displaces her mistress.

²⁴“Four things on earth are small,
    yet they are extremely wise:
²⁵Ants are creatures of little strength,
    yet they store up their food in the summer;^(AD)
²⁶hyraxes^(AE) are creatures of little power,
    yet they make their home in the crags;
²⁷locusts^(AF) have no king,
    yet they advance together in ranks;
²⁸a lizard can be caught with the hand,
    yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

²⁹“There are three things that are stately in their stride,
    four that move with stately bearing:
³⁰a lion, mighty among beasts,
    who retreats before nothing;
³¹a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
    and a king secure against revolt.^[b]

³²“If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
    or if you plan evil,
    clap your hand over your mouth!^(AG)
³³For as churning cream produces butter,
    and as twisting the nose produces blood,
    so stirring up anger produces strife.”

Footnotes

Proverbs 30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:
Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.