Colossians 3:14

Amplified Bible

Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others].

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

King James Version (1611)
And aboue all these things put on charitie, which is the bond of perfectnesse.

King James Version
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

English Standard Version
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

New American Standard Bible
In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

New Century Version
Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Legacy Standard Bible
Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Berean Standard Bible
And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.

Contemporary English Version
Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.

Complete Jewish Bible
Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly;

Darby Translation
And to all these [add] love, which is the bond of perfectness.

Easy-to-Read Version
Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And aboue all these thinges put on loue, which is the bond of perfectnes.

George Lamsa Translation
And with all these things have love, which is the bond of perfection.

Good News Translation
And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.

Lexham English Bible
And to all these things add love, which is the bond of perfection.

Literal Translation
And above all these, love, which is the bond of perfectness.

American Standard Version
and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.

Bible in Basic English
And more than all, have love; the only way in which you may be completely joined together.

Hebrew Names Version
Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.

International Standard Version
Above all, clothe yourselves withclothe yourselves with">[fn] love, which ties everything together in unity.John 13:34; Romans 13:8; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Ephesians 4:3; 5:2; Colossians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 3:23; 4:21;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and with all these charity, which is the girdle of perfection.

Murdock Translation
And with all these, [fn] love, which is the girdle of perfection.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And aboue all thynges [put on] loue, which is the bonde of perfectnesse.

English Revised Version
and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.

World English Bible
Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And above all these put on love, which is the bond of perfection:

Weymouth's New Testament
And over all these put on love, which is the perfect bond of union;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And vpon alle these thingis haue ye charite, that is the boond of perfeccioun.

Update Bible Version
and above all these things [put on] love, which is the bond of perfectness.

Webster's Bible Translation
And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

New English Translation
And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond.

New King James Version
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

New Living Translation
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

New Life Bible
And to all these things, you must add love. Love holds everything and everybody together and makes all these good things perfect.

New Revised Standard
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, over all these things, love, which is a uniting-bond of completeness;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection.

Revised Standard Version
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Above all these thinges put on love which is the bonde of parfectnes.

Young's Literal Translation
and above all these things, [have] love, which is a bond of the perfection,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But aboue all thinges put on loue, which is the bonde of perfectnesse.

Mace New Testament (1729)
to all this add love, which is the band of perfect union:

Simplified Cowboy Version
The most important thing to remember is to ride in love. It is the cinch that holds us all in the saddle. When we're all cinched down tight in love, we will be able to stay in the saddle and accomplish the task set before us.

Contextual Overview

¹²So, as God's own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; ¹³bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive. ¹⁴Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others].¹⁵Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. ¹⁶Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

charity: Colossians 2:2, John 13:34, John 15:12, Romans 13:8, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Ephesians 5:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, 1 Timothy 1:5, 1 Peter 4:8, 2 Peter 1:7, 1 John 3:23, 1 John 4:21

the: Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 4:3, 1 John 4:7-12

Reciprocal: Song of Solomon 1:7 - turneth aside Jeremiah 43:12 - putteth John 17:23 - made Romans 12:18 - General 1 Corinthians 13:13 - the greatest Colossians 3:10 - put Revelation 2:19 - charity

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, "Can it really be that God has said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

Genesis 3:15
"And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, And you shall [only] bruise His heel."

Genesis 3:20
The man named his wife Eve (life spring, life giver), because she was the mother of all the living.

Genesis 9:6
"Whoever sheds man's blood [unlawfully], By man (judicial government) shall his blood be shed, For in the image of God He made man.

Leviticus 20:25
'You are therefore to make a distinction between the [ceremonially] clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean; and you shall not make yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything that crawls on the ground, which I have set apart from you as unclean.

Psalms 72:9
The nomads of the desert will bow before him, And his enemies will lick the dust.

Isaiah 29:4
Then you [Jerusalem] will be brought low, You will speak from the earth, And from the dust where you lie face down Your muffled words will come. Your voice will also be like that of a spirit from the earth [like one produced by a medium], And your speech will whisper and squeak from the dust.

Isaiah 65:25
"The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox [there will no longer be predator and prey]; and dust will be the serpent's food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain (Zion)," says the LORD.

Micah 7:17
They shall lick the dust like a serpent; Like crawling things of the earth They shall come trembling out of their fortresses and hiding places. They shall turn and come with fear and dread to the LORD our God And they shall be afraid and stand in awe before You [O LORD].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And above all these things,.... Bowels of mercies, kindness, c.

put on charity, or brotherly love, for without this all is nothing they will only be done in show and appearance, in mere guise and hypocrisy, if love is wanting; this actuates and exercises all the rest; it is only from this principle that true sympathy, real kindness, undisguised humility, and meekness, patient longsuffering, and forbearance, and hearty forgiveness proceeds: this is greater, and more excellent, than all the other, and adds a glory, lustre, and beauty to them; this is the upper garment that covers all the rest, for so the words may be rendered, "upon all these things put on charity"; whereby a disciple of Christ is visible, and distinguished, and is known to be what he is; this is like a strait and upper garment, keeps close all that is under it, and within it: and it is called

the bond of perfectness; either of the law, and the duties of religion, which it is said to be the fulfilling of; or rather of the saints, for this is the bond of union between them, which knits and cements them together, so that they are perfectly joined together, and are of one mind and one heart: it is the bond of peace among them, of perfect unity and brotherly love; and a most beautiful and pleasant thing it is for brethren to live and dwell together in unity; such are beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem among themselves, and terrible to their enemies as an army with banners, being not to be divided or broken by them. The Claromontane exemplar reads, "the bond of unity".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And above all these things - Over, or upon all these things; compare the notes at Ephesians 6:16.

Charity - Love. Notes, 1 Corinthians 13:1.

Which is the bond of perfectness - The bond of all perfection; the thing which will unite all other things, and make them complete; compare the parallel place in Ephesians 4:3. The idea seems to be that love will bind all the other graces fast together, and render the whole system complete. Without love, though there might be other graces and virtues, there would be a want of harmony and compactness in our Christian graces, and this was necessary to unite and complete the whole. There is great beauty in the expression, and it contains most important truth. If it were possible to conceive that the other graces could exist among a Christian people, yet there would be a sad incompleteness, a painful want of harmony and union, if love were not the reigning principle. Nor faith, nor zeal, nor prophecy, nor the power of speaking with the tongue of angels, would answer the purpose. See this sentiment expressed in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, and the effect of love more fully explained in the notes at that chapter.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. And above all these things — επι πασι δε τουτοις. Upon all, over all; as the outer garment envelopes all the clothing, so let charity or love invest and encompass all the rest. Even bowels of mercy are to be set in motion by love; from love they derive all their feeling, and all their power and promptitude to action. Let this, therefore, be as the upper garment; the surtout that invests the whole man.

Which is the bond of perfectness. — Love to God and man is not only to cover all, but also to unite and consolidate the whole. It is therefore represented here under the notion of a girdle, by which all the rest of the clothing is bound close about the body. To love God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and one's neighbour as one's self, is the perfection which the new covenant requires, and which the grace and Spirit of Christ work in every sincerely obedient, humble believer; and that very love, which is the fulfilling of the law and the perfection itself which the Gospel requires, is also the bond of that perfection. It is by love to God and man that love is to be preserved. Love begets love; and the more a man loves God and his neighbour, the more he is enabled to do so. Love, while properly exercised, is ever increasing and reproducing itself.

Instead of τελειοτητος, perfection, several reputable MSS., with the Itala, read ενοτητος, unity; but the former is doubtless the genuine reading.