
CAP 1
1 Poul, apostle of `Crist Jhesu, bi the wille of God,
2 and Tymothe, brother, to hem that ben at Colose, hooli and feithful britheren in Crist Jhesu,
3 grace and pees to you of God oure fadir and of the Lord Jhesu Crist. We don thankyngis to God, and to the fader of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, euermore preiynge for you, herynge youre feith in Crist Jhesu,
4 and the loue that ye han to alle hooli men,
5 for the hope that is kept to you in heuenes. Which ye herden in the word of treuthe of the gospel,
6 that cam to you, as also it is in al the world, and makith fruyt, and wexith, as in you, fro that dai in which ye herden and knewen the grace of God in treuthe.
7 As ye lerneden of Epafras, oure felawe most dereworthe, which is a trewe mynystre of Jhesu Crist for you;
8 which also schewide to vs youre louyng in spirit.
9 Therfor we fro the dai in which we herden, ceessen not to preye for you, and to axe, that ye be fillid with the knowing of his wille in al wisdom and goostli vndurstondyng;
10 that ye walke worthili to God plesynge bi alle thingis, and make fruyt in al good werk, and wexe in the science of God,
11 and ben coumfortid in al vertu bi the miyt of his clerenesse, in al pacience and long abiding with ioye,
12 that ye do thankyngis to God and to the fadir, which made you worthi in to the part of eritage of hooli men in liyt.
13 Which delyueride vs fro the power of derknessis, and translatide in to the kyngdom of the sone of his louyng,
14 in whom we han ayenbiyng and remyssioun of synnes.
15 Which is the ymage of God vnuysible, the first bigetun of ech creature.
16 For in hym alle thingis ben maad, in heuenes and in erthe, visible and vnuysible, ether trones, ether dominaciouns, ether princehodes, ethir poweris, alle thingis ben maad of nouyt bi hym, and in hym,
17 and he is bifor alle, and alle thingis ben in hym.
18 And he is heed of the bodi of the chirche; which is the bigynnyng and the firste bigetun of deede men, that he holde the firste dignyte in alle thingis.
19 For in hym it pleside al plente to inhabite,
20 and bi hym alle thingis to be recounselid in to hym, and made pees bi the blood of his cros, tho thingis that ben in erthis, ether that ben in heuenes.
21 And whanne ye weren sumtyme aliened, and enemyes bi wit in yuele werkis,
22 now he hath recounselid you in the bodi of his fleisch bi deth, to haue you hooli, and vnwemmyd, and with out repreef bifor hym.
23 If netheles ye dwellen in the feith, foundid, and stable, and vnmouable fro the hope of the gospel that ye han herd, which is prechid in al creature that is vndur heuene. Of which Y Poul am maad mynystre,
24 and now Y haue ioye in passioun for you, and Y fille tho thingis that failen of the passiouns of Crist in my fleisch, for his bodi, that is the chirche.
25 Of which Y Poul am maad mynystre bi the dispensacioun of God, that is youun to me in you,
26 that Y fille the word of God, the priuyte, that was hid fro worldis and generaciouns. But now it is schewid to his seyntis,
27 to whiche God wold make knowun the richessis of the glorie of this sacrament in hethene men, which is Crist in you, the hope of glorie.
28 Whom we schewen, repreuynge ech man, and techinge `ech man in al wisdom, that we offre ech man perfit in Crist Jhesu.
29 In which thing also Y trauele in stryuynge bi the worching of hym, that he worchith in me in vertu.

CAP 2
1 But Y wole that ye wite, what bisynesse Y haue for you, and for hem that ben at Laodice, and whiche euere saien not my face in fleisch,
2 that her hertis ben coumfortid, and thei ben tauyt in charite, in to alle the richessis of the plente of the vndurstondyng, in to the knowyng of mysterie of God, the fadir of Jhesu Crist,
3 in whom alle the tresouris of wisdom and of science ben hid.
4 For this thing Y seie, that no man disseyue you in heiythe of wordis.
5 For thouy Y be absent in bodi, bi spirit Y am with you, ioiynge and seynge youre ordre and the sadnesse of youre bileue that is in Crist.
6 Therfor as ye han takun Jhesu Crist oure Lord,
7 walke ye in hym, and be ye rootid and bieldid aboue in hym, and confermyd in the bileue, as ye han lerud, aboundinge in hym in doynge of thankyngis.
8 Se ye that no man disseyue you bi filosofie and veyn fallace, aftir the tradicioun of men, aftir the elementis of the world, and not aftir Crist.
9 For in hym dwellith bodilich al the fulnesse of the Godhed.
10 And ye ben fillid in hym, that is heed of al principat and power.
11 In whom also ye ben circumcidid in circumcisioun not maad with hoond, in dispoyling of the bodi of fleisch, but in circumcisioun of Crist;
12 and ye ben biried togidere with hym in baptim, in whom also ye han rise ayen bi feith of the worching of God, that reiside hym fro deth.
13 And whanne ye weren deed in giltis, and in the prepucie of youre fleisch, he quikenyde togidere you with hym;
14 foryyuynge to you alle giltis, doynge awei that writing of decre that was ayens vs, that was contrarie to vs; and he took awei that fro the myddil, pitchinge it on the cros;
15 and he spuylide principatis and poweris, and ledde out tristili, opynli ouercomynge hem in hym silf.
16 Therfor no man iuge you in mete, or in drink, or in part of feeste dai, or of neomenye,
17 or of sabatis, whiche ben schadewe of thingis to comynge; for the bodi is of Crist.
18 No man disseyue you, willynge to teche in mekenesse, and religioun of aungelis, tho thingis whiche he hath not seyn, walkinge veynli, bolnyd with wit of his fleisch,
19 and not holdynge the heed, of which al the bodi, bi boondis and ioynyngis togidere vndur mynystrid and maad, wexith in to encreessing of God.
20 For if ye ben deed with Crist fro the elementis of this world, what yit as men lyuynge to the world demen ye?
21 That ye touche not, nether taaste,
22 nether trete with hoondis tho thingis, whiche alle ben in to deth bi the ilke vss, aftir the comaundementis and the techingis of men;
23 whiche han a resoun of wisdom in veyn religioun and mekenesse, and not to spare the bodi, not in ony onour to the fulfillyng of the fleisch.

CAP 3
1 Therfor if ye han risun togidere with Crist, seke ye tho thingis that ben aboue, where Crist is sittynge in the riythalf of God.
2 Sauere ye tho thingis, that ben aboue, not tho that ben on the erthe.
3 For ye ben deed, and youre lijf is hid with Crist in God.
4 For whanne Crist schal appere, youre lijf, thanne also ye schulen appere with hym in glorie.
5 Therfor sle ye youre membris, whiche ben on the erthe, fornycacioun, vnclennesse, letcherie, yuel coueitise, and aueryse, which is seruyse of mawmetis;
6 for whiche thingis the wraththe of God cam on the sones of vnbileue;
7 in whiche also ye walkiden sum tyme, whanne ye lyueden in hem.
8 But now putte ye awei alle thingis, wraththe, indignacioun, malice, blasfemye and foule word of youre mouth.
9 Nyle ye lie togidere; spuyle ye you fro the elde man with his dedes, and clothe ye the newe man,
10 that is maad newe ayen in to the knowing of God, aftir the ymage of hym that made hym;
11 where is not male and female, hethene man and Jew, circumcisioun and prepucie, barbarus and Scita, bonde man and fre man, but alle thingis and in alle thingis Crist.
12 Therfor ye, as the chosun of God, hooli and louyd, clothe you with the entrailis of merci, benygnite, and mekenesse, temperaunce, pacience;
13 and support ye echon other, and foryyue to you silf, if ony man ayens ony hath a querele; as the Lord foryaf to you, so also ye.
14 And vpon alle these thingis haue ye charite, that is the boond of perfeccioun.
15 And the pees of Crist enioye in youre hertis, in which ye ben clepid in o bodi, and be ye kynde.
16 The word of Crist dwelle in you plenteuousli, in al wisdom; and teche and moneste you silf in salmes, and ympnes, and spiritual songis, in grace synginge in youre hertis to the Lord.
17 Al thing, what euere thing ye don, in word or in dede, alle thingis in the name of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, doynge thankyngis to God and to the fadir bi hym.
18 Wymmen, be ye sugetis to youre hosebondis, as it bihoueth in the Lord.
19 Men, loue ye youre wyues, and nyle ye be bittere to hem.
20 Sones, obeie ye to youre fadir and modir bi alle thingis; for this is wel plesinge in the Lord.
21 Fadris, nyle ye terre youre sones to indignacioun, that thei be not maad feble hertid.
22 Seruauntis, obeie ye bi alle thingis to fleischli lordis, not seruynge at iye, as plesynge to men, but in symplenesse of herte, dredinge the Lord.
23 What euer ye doen, worche ye of wille, as to the Lord and not to men;
24 witinge that of the Lord ye schulen take yelding of eritage. Serue ye to the Lord Crist.
25 For he that doith iniurie, schal resseyue that that he dide yuele; and acceptacioun of persoones is not anentis God.

CAP 4
1 Lordis, yyue ye to seruauntis that that is iust and euene, witinge that also ye han a Lord in heuene.
2 Be ye bisi in preier, and wake in it, in doynge of thankyngis;
3 and preie ech for othere, and for vs, that God opene to vs the dore of word, to speke the misterie of Crist;
4 for which also Y am boundun, that Y schewe it, so as it bihoueth me to speke.
5 Walke ye in wisdom to hem that ben with outen forth, ayenbiynge tyme.
6 Youre word be sauered in salt eueremore in grace; that ye wite, hou it bihoueth you to answere to ech man.
7 Titicus, most dere brother, and feithful mynyster, and my felowe in the Lord, schal make alle thingis knowun to you, that ben aboute me.
8 Whom Y sente to you to this same thing, that he knowe what thingis ben aboute you, and coumforte youre hertis, with Onesyme,
9 most dere and feithful brother, which is of you; whiche schulen make alle thingis that ben doon here, knowun to you.
10 Aristark, prisoner with me, gretith you wel, and Mark, the cosyn of Barnabas, of whom ye han take maundementis; if he come to you, resseyue ye hym;
11 and Jhesus, that is seid Just; whiche ben of circumcisioun; thei aloone ben myn helperis in the kingdom of God, that weren to me in solace.
12 Epafras, that is of you, the seruaunt of Jhesu Crist, gretith you wel; euere bisi for you in preyeris, that ye stonde perfit and ful in al the wille of God.
13 And Y bere witnessyng to hym, that he hath myche trauel for you, and for hem that ben at Loadice, and that ben at Ierapolim.
14 Luk, the leche most dere, and Demas, greten you wel.
15 Grete ye wel the britheren that ben at Loadice, and the womman Nynfam, and the chirche that is in hir hous.
16 And whanne this pistle is red among you, do ye, that it be red in the chirche of Loadicensis; and rede ye that pistle that is of Loadicensis.
17 And seie ye to Archippus, Se the mynysterie, that thou hast takun in the Lord, that thou fille it.
18 My salutacioun, bi the hoond of Poul. Be ye myndeful of my boondis. The grace of the Lord Jhesu Crist be with you. Amen.
