American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}worlds unto our glory:
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;
and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God that are scattered abroad.
And what agreement hath a {Or, santuary}temple of God with idols? for we are a {Or, santuary}temple of the living God; even as God said, {Leviticus 26:12; Exodus 29:45; Ezekiel 37:27; Jeremiah 31:1.}I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore {Isaiah 52:11.}Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,saith the Lord,And touch no unclean thing;And I will receive you,
{Hosea 1:10; Isaiah 43:6.}And will be to you a Father,And ye shall be to me sons and daughters,saith the Lord Almighty.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy {Greek: the brother.}our brother,
{Or, to those that are at Colossae, holy and faithful brethren in Christ}to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints,
because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel,
which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as it doth in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on {Many ancient authorities read your.}our behalf,
who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
to walk worthily of the Lord {Or, unto all pleasing, in every good work, bearing fruit and increasing &c.}unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing {Or, by}in the knowledge of God;
{Greek: made powerful.}strengthened {Or, in}with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all {Or, stedfastness}patience and longsuffering with joy;
giving thanks unto the Father, who made {Some ancient authorities read you.}us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
and he is before all things, and in him all things {That is, hold together.}consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; {Or, that among all he might have &c.}that in all things he might have the preeminence.
{Or, For the whole fullness of God was pleased to dwell in him}For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell;
and through him to reconcile all things {Or, into him}unto {Or, him}himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.
And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,
yet now {Some ancient authorities read ye have been reconciled.}hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:
if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church;
whereof I was made a minister, according to the {Or, stewardship See 1 Corinthians 9:17}dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,
even the mystery which hath been hid for {Or, from all the ages &c. Greek: from the ages and from the generations.}ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,
to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;
whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me {Or, in power}mightily.
which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
{Or, For the whole fullness of God was pleased to dwell in him}For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell;
And I, if I be lifted up {Or, out of}from the earth, will draw all men unto myself.
Now this he said not of himself: but, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation;
and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God that are scattered abroad.
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.
but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;
For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,
having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;
and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?
and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the {Or, a shepherd}shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
This {Or, proverb}parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
All that came {Some ancient authorities omit before me}before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture.
The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may {Or, have abundance}have it abundantly.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep.
He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them:
he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me,
even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must {Or, lead}bring, and they shall hear my voice: and {Or, there shall be one flock}they shall become one flock, one shepherd.
Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.
No one {Some ancient authorities read took it away}taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have {Or, right}power to lay it down, and I have {Or, right}power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father.
There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words.
And many of them said, He hath a demon, and is mad; why hear ye him?
Others said, These are not the sayings of one possessed with a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?
{Some ancient authorities read At that time was the feast}And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem:
it was winter; and Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon's {Or, portico}porch.
The Jews therefore came round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou hold us in suspense? If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly.
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not: the works that I do in my Father's name, these bear witness of me.
But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.
{Some ancient authorities read That which my Father hath given unto me}My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch {Or, aught}them out of the Father's hand.
I and the Father are one.
The Jews took up stones again to stone him.
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, {Psalm 82:6}I said, Ye are gods?
If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken),
say ye of him, whom the Father {Or, consecrated}sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
They sought again to take him: and he went forth out of their hand.
And he went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was at the first baptizing; and there he abode.
And many came unto him; and they said, John indeed did no sign: but all things whatsoever John spake of this man were true.
And many believed on him there.
Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee:
These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that the Son may glorify thee:
even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that {Greek: whatsoever thou hast given him, to them he &c.}to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life.
And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.
I glorified thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do.
And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept thy word.
Now they know that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are from thee:
for the words which thou gavest me I have given unto them; and they received them, and knew of a truth that I came forth from thee, and they believed that thou didst send me.
I {Greek: make request.}pray for them: I {Greek: make request.}pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine:
and all things that are mine are thine, and thine are mine: and I am glorified in them.
And I am no more in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are.
While I was with them, I kept them in thy name which thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; {Psalm 41:9?}that the scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves.
I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I {Greek: make request.}pray not that thou shouldest take them {Greek: out of}from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them {Greek: out of}from {Or, evil}the evil one.
They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.
{Or, Consecrate}Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.
As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them into the world.
And for their sakes I {Or, Consecrate}sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
Neither for these only do I {Greek: make request.}pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word;
that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.
And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one;
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.
Father, {Greek: that which thou hast given me, I desire that where I am, they also may be with me, that &c.}I desire that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father, the world knew thee not, but I knew thee; and these knew that thou didst send me;
and I made known unto them thy name, and will make it known; that the love wherewith thou lovedst me may be in them, and I in them.
in whom ye also are builded together {Greek: into.}for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with {Greek: Beliar.}Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?
And what agreement hath a {Or, santuary}temple of God with idols? for we are a {Or, santuary}temple of the living God; even as God said, {Leviticus 26:12; Exodus 29:45; Ezekiel 37:27; Jeremiah 31:1.}I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore {Isaiah 52:11.}Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,saith the Lord,And touch no unclean thing;And I will receive you,
{Or, seeing that there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body}seeing that we, who are many, are one {Or, loaf}bread, one body: for we are all partake {Greek: from.}of the one {Or, loaf}bread.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;
Now we beseech you, brethren, {Greek: in behalf of.}touching the {Greek: presence.}coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him;
to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand;
let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of {Many ancient authorities read lawlessness.}sin be revealed, the son of perdition,
he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or {Greek: an object of worship. Acts 17:23.}that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the {Or, sanctuary}temple of God, setting himself forth as God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season.
For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: {Or, only until he that now restraineth be taken &c.}only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord {Some ancient authorities omit Jesus.}Jesus shall {Some ancient authorities read consume.}slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his {Greek: presence.}coming;
even he, whose {Greek: presence.}coming is according to the working of Satan with all {Greek: power and signs and wonders of falsehood.}power and signs and lying wonders,
and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that {Or, are perishing}perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie:
that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you {Many ancient authorities read as firstfruits.}from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and {Or, faith}belief of the truth:
whereunto he called you through our {Greek: good tidings: see chapter 1:8.}gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught, whether by word, or by epistle of ours.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
But them that are without God judgeth. Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.
looking carefully {Or, whether}lest there be any man that {Or, falleth back from}falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled;
Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, {Numbers 16:5?}The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, {Isaiah 26:13?}Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be caused to stumble.
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God.
And these things will they do, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
But these things have I spoken unto you, that when their hour is come, ye may remember them, how that I told you. And these things I said not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you.
But now I go unto him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
But because I have spoken these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the {Or, Advocate Or, Helper Greek: Paraclete.}Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you.
And he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
of sin, because they believe not on me;
of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more;
of judgment, because the prince of this world hath been judged.
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.
He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you.
All things whatsoever the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he taketh of mine, and shall declare it unto you.
A little while, and ye behold me no more; and again a little while, and ye shall see me.
Some of his disciples therefore said one to another, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he saith.
Jesus perceived that they were desirous to ask him, and he said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, A little while, and ye behold me not, and again a little while, and ye shall see me?
Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world.
And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you.
And in that day ye shall {Or, ask me nothing compare verse 26; chapter 14:13, 20}ask me no question. Verily, verily, I say unto you, if ye shall ask anything of the Father, he will give it you in my name.
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full.
These things have I spoken unto you in {Or, parables}dark sayings: the hour cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in {Or, parables}dark sayings, but shall tell you plainly of the Father.
In that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will {Greek: make request for.}pray the Father for you;
for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
I came out from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father.
His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no {Or, parables}dark saying.
Now know we that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him
unto a dispensation of the fulness of the {Greek: seasons.}times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things {Greek: upon.}in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, I say,
in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will;