Colossians 3-4

New American Standard Bible 1995

Put On the New Self

3 Therefore if you have been ^(A)raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, ^(B)seated at the right hand of God. ^2 [a](C)Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have ^(D)died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, ^(E)who is our life, is revealed, ^(F)then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

^5 (G)Therefore ^[b]consider ^(H)the members of your earthly body as dead to ^[c](I)immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which ^[d]amounts to idolatry. ⁶ For it is because of these things that ^(J)the wrath of God will come ^[e]upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ and ^(K)in them you also once walked, when you were living ^[f]in them. ⁸ But now you also, ^(L)put them all aside: ^(M)anger, wrath, malice, slander, and ^(N)abusive speech from your mouth. ^9 [g](O)Do not lie to one another, since you ^(P)laid aside the old ^[h]self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have ^(Q)put on the new self who is being ^[i](R)renewed to a true knowledge ^(S)according to the image of the One who ^(T)created him— ¹¹ a renewal in which ^(U)there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, ^(V)circumcised and uncircumcised, ^[j](W)barbarian, Scythian, ^(X)slave and freeman, but ^(Y)Christ is all, and in all.

¹² So, as those who have been ^(Z)chosen of God, holy and beloved, ^(AA)put on a ^(AB)heart of compassion, kindness, ^(AC)humility, gentleness and ^[k](AD)patience; ^13 (AE)bearing with one another, and ^(AF)forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; ^(AG)just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is ^[l](AH)the perfect bond of ^(AI)unity. ¹⁵ Let ^(AJ)the peace of Christ ^[m]rule in your hearts, to which ^[n]indeed you were called in ^(AK)one body; and ^[o]be thankful. ¹⁶ Let ^(AL)the word of ^[p]Christ richly dwell within you, ^[q]with all wisdom ^(AM)teaching and admonishing ^[r]one another ^(AN)with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ^(AO)singing ^[s]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ^17 (AP)Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^(AQ)giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Family Relations

^18 (AR)Wives, ^(AS)be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ^19 (AT)Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. ^20 (AU)Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing ^[t]to the Lord. ^21 (AV)Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

^22 (AW)Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters ^[u]on earth, ^(AX)not with ^[v]external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, do your work ^[w]heartily, ^(AY)as for the Lord ^[x]rather than for men, ^24 (AZ)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward ^[y]of ^(BA)the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you ^(BB)serve. ²⁵ For ^(BC)he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and ^[z](BD)that without partiality.

Fellow Workers

4 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, ^(BE)knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

^2 (BF)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time ^(BG)for us as well, that God will open up to us a ^(BH)door for ^(BI)the word, so that we may speak forth ^(BJ)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also ^(BK)been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear ^(BL)in the way I ought to speak.

^5 [aa](BM)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward ^(BN)outsiders, ^[ab](BO)making the most of the opportunity. ^6 (BP)Let your speech always be ^[ac]with grace, as though seasoned with ^(BQ)salt, so that you will know how you should ^(BR)respond to each person.

^7 (BS)As to all my affairs, ^(BT)Tychicus, our ^(BU)beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. ^8 (BV)For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may ^(BW)encourage your hearts; ^9 [ad]and with him ^(BX)Onesimus, our faithful and ^(BY)beloved brother, ^(BZ)who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

^10 (CA)Aristarchus, my ^(CB)fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also ^(CC)Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received ^[ae]instructions; ^(CD)if he comes to you, welcome him); ¹¹ and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only ^(CE)fellow workers for the kingdom of God ^(CF)who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. ^12 (CG)Epaphras, ^(CH)who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always ^(CI)laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may ^[af]stand ^[ag](CJ)perfect and ^[ah]fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³ For I testify for him that he has ^[ai]a deep concern for you and for those who are in ^(CK)Laodicea and Hierapolis. ^14 (CL)Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also ^(CM)Demas. ¹⁵ Greet the brethren who are in ^(CN)Laodicea and also ^[aj]Nympha and ^(CO)the church that is in ^[ak]her house. ^16 (CP)When ^[al]this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part ^(CQ)read ^[am]my letter that is coming from ^(CR)Laodicea. ¹⁷ Say to ^(CS)Archippus, “Take heed to the ^(CT)ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may ^[an]fulfill it.”

^18 [ao]I, Paul, ^(CU)write this greeting with my own hand. ^(CV)Remember my ^[ap](CW)imprisonment. ^(CX)Grace be with you.