Colossians 1:15-20
Legacy Standard Bible
The Firstborn of All Creation
15 [a]Who is the (A)image of the (B)invisible God, the (C)firstborn of all creation.
16 For [b](D)in Him all things were created, (E)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether (F)thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—(G)all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 And He [c](H)is before all things,
And in Him all things [d]hold together.
18 And He is the (I)head of (J)the body, the church;
Who is (K)the beginning, (L)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For in Him [e]all (M)the fullness of God (N)was pleased to dwell,
20 And through Him to (O)reconcile all things to Himself, having made (P)peace through (Q)the blood of His cross—through Him—(R)whether things on earth or things in [f]heaven.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:15 vv 15-20 are formatted to show the chiastic structure of the poem
- Colossians 1:16 Or by
- Colossians 1:17 Or has existed prior to
- Colossians 1:17 Or endure
- Colossians 1:19 Or God was pleased for all the fullness to dwell
- Colossians 1:20 Lit the heavens
Colossians 1:15-20
International Standard Version
The Centrality of Jesus
15 The Son[a] is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things in heaven and on earth were created,
things visible and invisible,
whether they are kings,[b] lords, rulers, or powers.
All things have been created through him and for him.
17 He himself existed before anything else did,
and he holds all things together.
18 He is also the head of the body,
which is the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
so that he himself might have first place in everything.
19 For God[c] was pleased to have
all of his divine essence[d] inhabit him.
20 Through the Son,[e] God[f] also reconciled all things to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
thereby making peace
through the blood of his cross.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:15 Lit. He
- Colossians 1:16 Lit. thrones
- Colossians 1:19 Lit. he
- Colossians 1:19 Lit. all of the fullness
- Colossians 1:20 Lit. Through him
- Colossians 1:20 Lit. he
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