A Song to the Lord Who Preserves and Prospers His People

A Psalm of David.

144 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
(A)Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle—
My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues [a]my people under me.

(B)Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
(C)Man is like a breath;
(D)His days are like a passing shadow.

(E)Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
(F)Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
(G)Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.
Stretch out Your hand from above;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
From the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth (H)speaks [b]lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

I will (I)sing a new song to You, O God;
On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 The One who gives [c]salvation to kings,
(J)Who delivers David His servant
From the deadly sword.

11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—
12 That our sons may be (K)as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as [d]pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;
13 That our barns may be full,
Supplying all kinds of produce;
That our sheep may bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;
14 That our oxen may be well laden;
That there be no [e]breaking in or going out;
That there be no outcry in our streets.
15 (L)Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 144:2 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Syr., Tg. the peoples (cf. 18:47)
  2. Psalm 144:8 empty or worthless
  3. Psalm 144:10 deliverance
  4. Psalm 144:12 corner pillars
  5. Psalm 144:14 Lit. breach

Greeting

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

To the saints (B)and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:

(C)Grace to you and peace from God our Father [a]and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Their Faith in Christ

(D)We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, (E)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of (F)your love for all the saints; because of the hope (G)which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, (H)as it has also in all the world, and (I)is bringing forth [b]fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew (J)the grace of God in truth; as you also learned from (K)Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is (L)a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your (M)love in the Spirit.

Preeminence of Christ

(N)For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask (O)that you may be filled with (P)the knowledge of His will (Q)in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 (R)that you may walk worthy of the Lord, (S)fully pleasing Him, (T)being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the (U)knowledge of God; 11 (V)strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, (W)for all patience and longsuffering (X)with joy; 12 (Y)giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of (Z)the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from (AA)the power of darkness (AB)and [c]conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 (AC)in whom we have redemption [d]through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is (AD)the image of the invisible God, (AE)the firstborn over all creation. 16 For (AF)by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or (AG)dominions or [e]principalities or [f]powers. All things were created (AH)through Him and for Him. 17 (AI)And He is before all things, and in Him (AJ)all things consist. 18 And (AK)He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, (AL)the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Reconciled in Christ

19 For it pleased the Father that (AM)in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and (AN)by Him to reconcile (AO)all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, (AP)having made peace through the blood of His cross.

21 And you, (AQ)who once were alienated and enemies in your mind (AR)by wicked works, yet now He has (AS)reconciled 22 (AT)in the body of His flesh through death, (AU)to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue (AV)in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are (AW)not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, (AX)which was preached to every creature under heaven, (AY)of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Sacrificial Service for Christ

24 (AZ)I now rejoice in my sufferings (BA)for you, and fill up in my flesh (BB)what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for (BC)the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to (BD)the [g]stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 (BE)the [h]mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, (BF)but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 (BG)To them God willed to make known what are (BH)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: [i]which is (BI)Christ in you, (BJ)the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, (BK)warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, (BL)that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me (BM)mightily.

Not Philosophy but Christ

For I want you to know what a great (BN)conflict[j] I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, [k]both of the Father and of Christ, (BO)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Now this I say (BP)lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For (BQ)though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing [l]to see (BR)your good order and the (BS)steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

(BT)As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (BU)rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding [m]in it with thanksgiving.

Beware lest anyone [n]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to (BV)the tradition of men, according to the (BW)basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For (BX)in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead [o]bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the (BY)head of all [p]principality and power.

Not Legalism but Christ

11 In Him you were also (BZ)circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by (CA)putting off the body [q]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 (CB)buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through (CC)faith in the working of God, (CD)who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 (CE)having wiped out the [r]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 (CF)Having disarmed (CG)principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

16 So let no one (CH)judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a [s]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 (CI)which are a shadow of things to come, but the [t]substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has [u]not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to (CJ)the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, (CK)grows with the increase that is from God.

20 [v]Therefore, if you (CL)died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, (CM)why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 (CN)“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—(CO)according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 (CP)These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and [w]neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Not Carnality but Christ

If then you were (CQ)raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, (CR)where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the (CS)earth. (CT)For you died, (CU)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (CV)When Christ who is (CW)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in (CX)glory.

(CY)Therefore put to death (CZ)your members which are on the earth: (DA)fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, (DB)which is idolatry. (DC)Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon (DD)the sons of disobedience, (DE)in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

(DF)But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 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 (DG)is renewed in knowledge (DH)according to the image of Him who (DI)created him, 11 where there is neither (DJ)Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, (DK)but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

12 Therefore, (DL)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, (DM)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 (DN)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 (DO)But above all these things (DP)put on love, which is the (DQ)bond of perfection. 15 And let (DR)the peace of God rule in your hearts, (DS)to which also you were called (DT)in one body; and (DU)be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another (DV)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And (DW)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(DX)

18 (DY)Wives, submit to your own husbands, (DZ)as is fitting in the Lord.

19 (EA)Husbands, love your wives and do not be (EB)bitter toward them.

20 (EC)Children, obey your parents (ED)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

21 (EE)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

22 (EF)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 (EG)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 (EH)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; (EI)for[x] you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and (EJ)there is no partiality.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:2 NU omits and the Lord Jesus Christ
  2. Colossians 1:6 NU, M add and growing
  3. Colossians 1:13 transferred
  4. Colossians 1:14 NU, M omit through His blood
  5. Colossians 1:16 rulers
  6. Colossians 1:16 authorities
  7. Colossians 1:25 dispensation or administration
  8. Colossians 1:26 secret or hidden truth
  9. Colossians 1:27 M who
  10. Colossians 2:1 struggle
  11. Colossians 2:2 NU omits both of the Father and
  12. Colossians 2:5 Lit. and seeing
  13. Colossians 2:7 NU omits in it
  14. Colossians 2:8 Lit. plunder you or take you captive
  15. Colossians 2:9 in bodily form
  16. Colossians 2:10 rule and authority
  17. Colossians 2:11 NU omits of the sins
  18. Colossians 2:14 certificate of debt with its
  19. Colossians 2:16 feast day
  20. Colossians 2:17 Lit. body
  21. Colossians 2:18 NU omits not
  22. Colossians 2:20 NU, M omit Therefore
  23. Colossians 2:23 severe treatment, asceticism
  24. Colossians 3:24 NU omits for

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