¹⁸ “For I know^[a] their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming^{[b] (A)}to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, ¹⁹ and I will set a sign among them. And from them ^(B)I will send survivors to the nations, to ^(C)Tarshish, ^(D)Pul, and ^(E)Lud, who draw the bow, to ^(F)Tubal and ^(G)Javan, ^(H)to the coastlands far away, ^(I)that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations.

⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, ^(A)I am.”

^6 (A)who, though he was in ^(B)the form of God, did not count equality with God ^(C)a thing to be grasped,^{[a] 7} but ^(D)emptied himself, by taking the form of a ^(E)servant,^{[b] (F)}being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by ^(G)becoming obedient to the point of death, ^(H)even death on a cross. ^9 (I)Therefore ^(J)God has ^(K)highly exalted him and bestowed on him ^(L)the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus ^(M)every knee should bow, ^(N)in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and ^(O)every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is ^(P)Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Preeminence of Christ

^15 (A)He is the image of ^(B)the invisible God, ^(C)the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by^[a] him all things were created, ^(D)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(E)thrones or ^(F)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created ^(G)through him and for him. ¹⁷ And ^(H)he is before all things, and in him all things ^(I)hold together. ¹⁸ And ^(J)he is the head of the body, the church. He is ^(K)the beginning, ^(L)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For ^(M)in him all the ^(N)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and ^(O)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, ^(P)making peace ^(Q)by the blood of his cross.