^15 (A)Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ^16 (B)making the best use of the time, because ^(C)the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what ^(D)the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And ^(E)do not get drunk with wine, for that is ^(F)debauchery, but ^(G)be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in ^(H)psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ^20 (I)giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ^(J)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (K)submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

^22 (L)Wives, ^(M)submit to your own husbands, ^(N)as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(O)the husband is the head of the wife even as ^(P)Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is ^(Q)himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit ^(R)in everything to their husbands.

^25 (S)Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and ^(T)gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ^(U)the washing of water ^(V)with the word, ²⁷ so ^(W)that he might present the church to himself in splendor, ^(X)without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.^{[a] 28} In the same way ^(Y)husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because ^(Z)we are members of his body. ^31 (AA)“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and ^(AB)the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, ^(AC)let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^(AD)respects her husband.

Children and Parents

6 ^(AE)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2 (AF)“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” ⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, ^(AG)but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

^5 (AH)Bondservants,^[b] obey your earthly masters^[c] with fear and trembling, ^(AI)with a sincere heart, ^(AJ)as you would Christ, ⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as ^(AK)people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, ^8 (AL)knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, ^(AM)whether he is a bondservant or is free. ⁹ Masters, do the same to them, ^(AN)and stop your threatening, knowing that ^(AO)he who is both their Master^[d] and yours is in heaven, and that ^(AP)there is no partiality with him.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(AQ)be strong in the Lord and in ^(AR)the strength of his might. ^11 (AS)Put on ^(AT)the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ^(AU)the schemes of the devil. ¹² For ^(AV)we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(AW)the rulers, against the authorities, against ^(AX)the cosmic powers over ^(AY)this present darkness, against ^(AZ)the spiritual forces of evil ^(BA)in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore ^(BB)take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in ^(BC)the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, ^(BD)having fastened on the belt of truth, and ^(BE)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, ^(BF)as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up ^(BG)the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all ^(BH)the flaming darts of ^(BI)the evil one; ¹⁷ and take ^(BJ)the helmet of salvation, and ^(BK)the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying ^(BL)at all times ^(BM)in the Spirit, ^(BN)with all prayer and supplication. To that end, ^(BO)keep alert with all perseverance, making ^(BP)supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and ^(BQ)also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth ^(BR)boldly to proclaim ^(BS)the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I ^(BT)am an ambassador ^(BU)in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Final Greetings

^21 (BV)So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, ^(BW)Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. ²² I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may ^(BX)encourage your hearts.

^23 (BY)Peace be to the brothers,^[e] and ^(BZ)love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace be with all who ^(CA)love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

Greeting

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

² To the ^(D)saints and faithful brothers^[a] in Christ at Colossae:

^(E)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

^3 (F)We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ since we heard of ^(G)your faith in Christ Jesus and of ^(H)the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵ because of ^(I)the hope ^(J)laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in ^(K)the word of the truth, the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, as indeed ^(L)in the whole world it is ^(M)bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you ^(N)heard it and understood ^(O)the grace of God in truth, ⁷ just as you learned it from ^(P)Epaphras our beloved ^(Q)fellow servant.^[b] He is ^(R)a faithful minister of Christ on your^[c] behalf ⁸ and has made known to us your ^(S)love in the Spirit.

⁹ And so, ^(T)from the day we heard, ^(U)we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that ^(V)you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all ^(W)spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so as ^(X)to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^(Y)fully pleasing to him: ^(Z)bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ^11 (AA)being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for ^(AB)all endurance and patience ^(AC)with joy; ^12 (AD)giving thanks^[d] to the Father, who has qualified you^[e] to share in ^(AE)the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³ He ^(AF)has delivered us from ^(AG)the domain of darkness and transferred us to ^(AH)the kingdom of ^(AI)his beloved Son, ^14 (AJ)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

^15 (AK)He is the image of ^(AL)the invisible God, ^(AM)the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by^[f] him all things were created, ^(AN)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(AO)thrones or ^(AP)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created ^(AQ)through him and for him. ¹⁷ And ^(AR)he is before all things, and in him all things ^(AS)hold together. ¹⁸ And ^(AT)he is the head of the body, the church. He is ^(AU)the beginning, ^(AV)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For ^(AW)in him all the ^(AX)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and ^(AY)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, ^(AZ)making peace ^(BA)by the blood of his cross.

^21 (BB)And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, ^(BC)doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled ^(BD)in his body of flesh by his death, ^(BE)in order to present you holy and blameless and ^(BF)above reproach before him, ^23 (BG)if indeed you continue in the faith, ^(BH)stable and steadfast, not shifting from ^(BI)the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed ^(BJ)in all creation^[g] under heaven, ^(BK)and of which I, Paul, became a minister.