Colossians 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Life of the New Man
3 So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.(A) 2 Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.(B) 3 For you have died,(C) and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. 4 When the Messiah, who is your[a] life, is revealed,(D) then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.(E)
5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature:[b] sexual immorality, impurity,(F) lust,(G) evil desire, and greed,(H) which is idolatry.(I) 6 Because of these, God’s wrath(J) comes on the disobedient,[c] 7 and you once walked in these things when you were living(K) in them. 8 But now you must also put away(L) all the following: anger,(M) wrath,(N) malice,(O) slander,(P) and filthy language from your mouth.(Q) 9 Do not lie(R) to one another, since you have put off(S) the old self[d](T) with its practices 10 and have put on(U) the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your[e] Creator.(V) 11 In Christ[f] there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,[g] slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.(W)
The Christian Life
12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved,(X) put on heartfelt compassion, kindness,(Y) humility,(Z) gentleness,(AA) and patience,(AB) 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.(AC) 14 Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called(AD) in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. 16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name(AE) of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Christ in Your Home
18 Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.(AF)
19 Husbands,(AG) love your wives(AH) and don’t be bitter(AI) toward them.
20 Children,(AJ) obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers,(AK) do not exasperate(AL) your children, so they won’t become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your human(AM) masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.(AN)
23 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically,[h] as something done for the Lord and not for men,(AO) 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer(AP) will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism.
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:4 Other mss read our
- Colossians 3:5 Lit death the members on the earth
- Colossians 3:6 Other mss omit on the disobedient
- Colossians 3:9 Lit man; = a person before conversion
- Colossians 3:10 Lit his
- Colossians 3:11 Lit Where
- Colossians 3:11 A term for a savage
- Colossians 3:23 Lit do it from the soul
Colossians 3
New King James Version
Not Carnality but Christ
3 If then you were (A)raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, (B)where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the (C)earth. 3 (D)For you died, (E)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 (F)When Christ who is (G)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in (H)glory.
5 (I)Therefore put to death (J)your members which are on the earth: (K)fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, (L)which is idolatry. 6 (M)Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon (N)the sons of disobedience, 7 (O)in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 (P)But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who (Q)is renewed in knowledge (R)according to the image of Him who (S)created him, 11 where there is neither (T)Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, (U)but Christ is all and in all.
Character of the New Man
12 Therefore, (V)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, (W)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 (X)bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 (Y)But above all these things (Z)put on love, which is the (AA)bond of perfection. 15 And let (AB)the peace of God rule in your hearts, (AC)to which also you were called (AD)in one body; and (AE)be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another (AF)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And (AG)whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
The Christian Home(AH)
18 (AI)Wives, submit to your own husbands, (AJ)as is fitting in the Lord.
19 (AK)Husbands, love your wives and do not be (AL)bitter toward them.
20 (AM)Children, obey your parents (AN)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
21 (AO)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
22 (AP)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 (AQ)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 (AR)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; (AS)for[a] you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and (AT)there is no partiality.
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:24 NU omits for
Colossians 3
International Children’s Bible
Your New Life in Christ
3 You were raised from death with Christ. So aim at what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Think only about the things in heaven, not the things on earth. 3 Your old sinful self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. 4 Christ is your[a] life. When he comes again, you will share in his glory.
5 So put all evil things out of your life. Get rid of sexual immorality and impure acts. Don’t let your feelings get out of control. Remove from your life all evil desires. Stop always wanting more and more. This really means living to serve a false god. 6 These things make God angry.[b] 7 In your evil life in the past, you also did these things.
8 But now put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil words when you talk. 9 Do not lie to each other. You have left your old sinful life and the things you did before. 10 You have begun to live the new life. In your new life you are being made new. You are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God. 11 In the new life there is no difference between Greeks and Jews. There is no difference between those who are circumcised and those who are not circumcised, or people that are foreigners, or Scythians.[c] There is no difference between slaves and free people. But Christ is in all believers. And Christ is all that is important.
12 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So always do these things: Show mercy to others; be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Do not be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, then forgive him. Forgive each other because the Lord forgave you. 14 Do all these things; but most important, love each other. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. You were all called together in one body[d] to have peace. Always be thankful. 16 Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and strengthen each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Everything you say and everything you do should all be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.
Your New Life with Other People
18 Wives, be under the authority of your husbands. This is the right thing to do in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be gentle to them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things. This pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not nag your children. If you are too hard to please, they may want to stop trying.
22 Slaves, obey your masters in all things. Do not obey just when they are watching you, to gain their favor. But serve them honestly, because you respect the Lord. 23 In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for men. 24 Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, which he promised to his people. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 But remember that anyone who does wrong will be punished for that wrong. And the Lord treats everyone the same.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.