Colossians 3 Since, therefore, you folks were awakened and are raised up together in the Christ (or: If, then, you are aroused and raised with the Anointed One), be constantly seeking and trying to find the upward things (or: the things being above), where the Christ is (exists being), continuously sitting within the right side (or: at the right hand; = at the place of receiving, and in the place of honor and the power) of God.

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Since, therefore, you folks were awakened and are raised up together in the Christ (or: If, then, you are aroused and raised with the Anointed One), be constantly seeking and trying to find the upward things (or: the things being above), where the Christ is (exists being), continuously sitting within the right [side] (or: at the right [hand]; = at the place of receiving, and in the place of honor and the power) of God. ² Be constantly minding (thinking about; setting your disposition and sentiments toward; paying regard to) the upward things (or: the things above), not the things upon the earth, ³ for you folks died, and your life has been hidden so that it is now concealed together with the Christ, within the midst of God (or: in union with God). ⁴ Whenever the Christ, our life [other MSS: your life], may be brought to light (or: should be manifested), you folks also will proceed being brought to light (or: will keep on being manifested), together with Him, within the midst of glory (or: in union with a manifestation which calls forth praise; or: in a good reputation; or: = in His manifest presence). (or: When Christ, the Anointing, can be manifested, then your life – even you yourself, together with Him – will continue being manifested in His manifest presence). ⁵ Make dead (Put into a state of deadness; Deaden; = Kill), therefore, the [other MSS: your] members (body parts; = aspects of your life) upon the earth (= that pertain to this earthly existence): prostitution (fornication; sexual immorality), uncleanness, [unbridled] passion ([uncontrolled] feeling or [excessive] emotion), worthless over-desire (rushing upon bad things; obsessive evil cravings), and the desire to have more and gain advantage over another (or: selfish, greedy, grasping thoughts and behavior) – which is idolatry (the worship of forms, shapes, images or figures; or: service to pagan concepts) ⁶ – because of which things God's inherent fervor (natural impulse and propensity; internal swelling and teeming passion of desire; or: anger; wrath) is repeatedly (or: continuously; progressively) coming [other MSS add: upon the sons of The Disobedience (or: those having the condition of being unpersuaded; or: the stubbornness); note: “the disobedience” could refer to Adam and Eve eating from the tree, and thus, the “sons of the disobedience” could refer to all of mankind] – ⁷ within which things you folks also at one time (once; formerly) walked about (= lived your lives), when you were living within these things. ⁸ But now, you folks as well, at once put all these things away from [you, as of clothes put off and laid away] (or: set off; = renounce or get rid of): inherent fervor (or: So at this time you yourselves in one stroke set away and get rid of all the [following]: even natural impulse, propensity, internal swelling and teeming desire; or: Yet now, you people at once lay aside all intense anger, rage and wrath), strong passion (rushing of emotions; outbursts of rage), worthlessness (poorness of quality; influence of the bad; hateful intentions), [and] from out of your mouth: blasphemy (abusive and injurious talk; slander) [and] foul-mouthed abuse (obscenity; ugly words; deformed and shameful language). ⁹ Do not keep on (or: Stop) lying unto one another! [Be] folks at once stripping off from yourselves (undressing yourselves from; or: go out and away from) the old humanity (the old human; = the old Adam), together with its practices, ¹⁰ and then [be] suddenly clothing yourselves with (or: entering within) the new one (the fresh one which existed only recently), the one being continuously (or: repeatedly; habitually; progressively) renewed (made back up new again, in kind and character) into full, accurate, added, intimate and experiential knowledge and insight which is down from and corresponds to the image (an exactly formed visible likeness) of its Creator (of the One framing and founding it from a state of wildness and disorder), ¹¹ wherein (or: in which place) there is no Greek [figure of the multitudes who are non-Jews, and of those who are cultured and civilized] and Jew [figure of a covenant people of God], circumcision and uncircumcision [figure for religious in-groups and out-groups; there is no longer a covenant people versus non-covenant people], barbarian [foreigner who speaks a different language], Scythian [figure or example of wild, uncivilized groups], slave, freeman, but to the contrary, Christ [is] all, and within all (or: Christ [is] all humanity, and within all mankind; or: Christ [is] everything or all things, and within everything and all things; [note: the Greek is plural, and is either masculine, signifying “mankind,” or neuter, signifying all creation, in these phrases]). ¹² Therefore, as God's chosen, set-apart and beloved ones (or: God’s sacred, loved and chosen people; or: as elect... ones from God), clothe yourselves with (or: enter within) bowels (internal organs; = the tender parts; seat of deep feelings) of compassion, kindness (adaptable usefulness), humility (the minding and disposition of things of lowness or of low station), gentleness (meekness; mildness), waiting long before rushing with emotions (even-temperedness; long-suffering; = putting up with people and situations for a long time), ¹³ being folks continuously holding up [things or situations] pertaining to one another (or: habitually holding yourselves up, belonging to one another; constantly putting up with one another) and incessantly giving grace to or doing a favor for (dealing graciously with and among) yourselves, if ever anyone may continue having (or: holding) a complaint toward someone. Just as the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh; some MSS: Christ; Aleph* & some Vulgate MSS read: God] also gave (or: gives) grace to and favor for you (deals graciously in, with and among you folks), thus also you folks [do the same]. ¹⁴ Now upon (= on top of) all these things [put on; superimpose] the Love, which continues being (or: is) a joining link and uniting band of perfection (a tie which binds together and pertains to the goal of maturity, being the result of fruitfulness; [the] fastening connection of the finished product; [the] bond producing perfection and destiny; a binding conjunction which brings union, which is the goal). ¹⁵ Furthermore, let the peace [= shalom] of the Christ (belonging to and originating in the [Messiah]; the harmony which is the Anointing [other MSS: God]) continuously umpire (act as a judge in the games) within your hearts (= in union with the core of your being) – into which [peace] you folks are called (were called; were invited), within one body. And progressively come to be thankful people (or: continue becoming folks expressing gratitude for the goodness, ease and well-being that comes in grace; be habitually graceful folks). ¹⁶ Let Christ's Word (or: the Logos, which is the Christ; the Idea which is the Anointing; or: the message of and from the Christ [other MSS: of God; of {the} Lord]) be continuously making its home within you folks (or: progressively indwelling – centered in and in union with you) richly, within the midst of and in union with all wisdom, habitually teaching [it] and placing [it] in the minds of yourselves by psalms, in hymns, by spiritual songs and odes, within grace and amidst favor constantly singing within your hearts to God (or: habitually singing to God [other MSS: to {the} Lord], in union with the grace resident within your hearts {= the core of your being}). ¹⁷ And everything – whatsoever you may be habitually doing, in word or in action (within a thought or message, or within a work or deed) – [do] everything (all; all things) within and in union with [the] Name of [the] Lord, Jesus [other MSS: of Jesus Christ; others: of {the} Lord, Jesus Christ], constantly giving thanks (expressing gratitude) to Father God (or: in union with God, [the] Father) through Him. ¹⁸ Wives, be habitually aligned to humbly support (or, as a middle: place and arrange yourselves in order, under) [your] husbands (or: Women, continue subjecting yourselves to the adult males [note: this was culturally appropriate at that time]), in the same way as there has progressively come again to be a connection in [the] Lord (or: since there has been an arrival back in union with [our] Master and Owner). ¹⁹ Husbands, habitually love [your] wives (or: Adult males, be constantly showing loving acceptance to the women), and do not become repeatedly sharp toward them (or: stop being rough, bitter or insensitive to them). ²⁰ Children, continue submissively hearing (or: paying attention), being constantly obedient to the parents in regard to all things (corresponding to every situation), for this continues being well-pleasing, within the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not constantly excite (or: continuously incite or stimulate; repeatedly irritate, vex or provoke) your children, so that they would not become habitually without strong passion (discouraged and timid; without motivation; dispirited, listless, moody or sullen). ²² Slaves, in regard to all things continue submissively hearing, paying attention and being constantly obedient to those [being] owners (masters; lords) on the level and the sphere of flesh (= human, or "earthly," masters) – not within eye-slavery (bondage to eyes; = slavery to doing in order to be seen, or working only when someone is watching), as desiring to please people (or: wanting to be pleasing to people so as to win their favor; human-pleasers), but rather within simplicity (or: singleness) of heart (or: single-hearted sincerity), constantly being folks reverenced by the fear of (or, as a middle: being ones habitually engendering reverence because of respectful fear toward) the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ; p46 & other MSS: God]. ²³ Everything – whatever you folks may be habitually doing – be constantly working (doing business; practicing a trade; earning a living) from out of soul (from the whole being: intellect, emotions, will), as to (for; in) the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ] and not for people (to mankind), ²⁴ having seen, and thus, knowing that you folks will receive back from the Lord [Yahweh or Christ] and take away the corresponding compensation of, from and which consists in the enjoyment of the allotted inheritance. Be constantly slaving for Christ, the Owner (Lord; Master) [or, with other MSS, and as an indicative: For you are constantly performing as a slave in (or: by; with) the Lord, in {the} Anointed One]. ²⁵ Certainly, the person habitually doing wrong (constantly acting unjustly or inequitably; repeatedly being unfair and walking contrary to the Way pointed out) will continue receiving in himself what he wrongly does (or: will progressively take for his own dealing what inequity and unfairness he did) – and there is no partiality (favoritism; consideration because of personal appearance or of the face presented; receiving of a facade; taking of personage into account).