Colossians 3
King James Version
3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
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
American Standard Version
3 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. 3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is [a]our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory.
5 Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 6 for which things’ sake cometh the wrath of God [b]upon the sons of disobedience: 7 [c]wherein ye also once walked, when ye lived in these things; 8 but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth: 9 lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, 10 and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as [d]the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ [e]rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of [f]Christ dwell in you [g]richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing [h]one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. 17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged. 22 [i]Servants, obey in all things them that are your [j]masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord: 23 whatsoever ye do, work [k]heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; 24 knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 For he that doeth wrong shall [l]receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:4 Many ancient authorities read your.
- Colossians 3:6 Some ancient authorities omit upon the sons of disobedience. See Eph. 5:6.
- Colossians 3:7 Or, amongst whom
- Colossians 3:13 Many ancient authorities read Christ.
- Colossians 3:15 Greek arbitrate.
- Colossians 3:16 Some ancient authorities read the Lord; others God
- Colossians 3:16 Or, richly in all wisdom; teaching etc.
- Colossians 3:16 Or, yourselves
- Colossians 3:22 Greek Bondservants.
- Colossians 3:22 Greek lords.
- Colossians 3:23 Greek from the soul.
- Colossians 3:25 Greek receive again the wrong.
Colossians 3
Young's Literal Translation
3 If, then, ye were raised with the Christ, the things above seek ye, where the Christ is, on the right hand of God seated,
2 the things above mind ye, not the things upon the earth,
3 for ye did die, and your life hath been hid with the Christ in God;
4 when the Christ -- our life -- may be manifested, then also we with him shall be manifested in glory.
5 Put to death, then, your members that [are] upon the earth -- whoredom, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and the covetousness, which is idolatry --
6 because of which things cometh the anger of God upon the sons of the disobedience,
7 in which also ye -- ye did walk once, when ye lived in them;
8 but now put off, even ye, the whole -- anger, wrath, malice, evil-speaking, filthy talking -- out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, having put off the old man with his practices,
10 and having put on the new, which is renewed in regard to knowledge, after the image of Him who did create him;
11 where there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, foreigner, Scythian, servant, freeman -- but the all and in all -- Christ.
12 Put on, therefore, as choice ones of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humble-mindedness, meekness, long-suffering,
13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any one with any one may have a quarrel, as also the Christ did forgive you -- so also ye;
14 and above all these things, [have] love, which is a bond of the perfection,
15 and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye were called in one body, and become thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, in grace singing in your hearts to the Lord;
17 and all, whatever ye may do in word or in work, [do] all things in the name of the Lord Jesus -- giving thanks to the God and Father, through him.
18 The wives! be subject to your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord;
19 the husbands! love your wives, and be not bitter with them;
20 the children! obey the parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord;
21 the fathers! vex not your children, lest they be discouraged.
22 The servants! obey in all things those who are masters according to the flesh, not in eye-service as men-pleasers, but in simplicity of heart, fearing God;
23 and all, whatever ye may do -- out of soul work -- as to the Lord, and not to men,
24 having known that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance -- for the Lord Christ ye serve;
25 and he who is doing unrighteously shall receive what he did unrighteously, and there is no acceptance of persons.
Colossians 3
Revised Standard Version
The New Life in Christ
3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.[a] 7 In these you once walked, when you lived in them. 8 But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices 10 and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scyth′ian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, 13 forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Rules for Christian Households
18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:6 Other ancient authorities add upon the sons of disobedience
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.