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Na Paora, i paingia nei e te Atua hei apotoro ma Karaiti Ihu, na to tatou teina hoki, na Timoti,

Ki te hunga tapu, ki nga teina whakapono hoki i roto i a te Karaiti, i Korohe: kia tau ki a koutou te aroha noa, me te rangimarie, he mea na te Atua, na to tatou Matua.

Tenei matou te whakawhetai atu nei ki te Atua, ara ki te Matua o to tatou Ariki, o Ihu Karaiti, me te inoi tonu ano matou mo koutou,

No matou ka rongo nei ki to koutou whakapono ki a Karaiti Ihu, ki to koutou aroha hoki ki te hunga tapu katoa;

Mo te mea e taria atu nei, e takoto mai nei ma koutou i te rangi, ko ta koutou i rongo ai i mua ki te kupu o te pono o te rongopai,

Kua tae atu na ki a koutou; kua whai hua hoki a kua nui haere ki te ao katoa, pena hoki i roto i a koutou, no te ra ano i rongo ai, i matau ai koutou ki te aroha noa o te Atua i roto i te pono.

I whakaakona atu na hoki koutou ki tena e Epapara, e to matou hoa pononga e arohaina nei; he minita pono nei ia na te Karaiti ki a koutou.

Nana hoki i whakakite mai ki a matou to koutou aroha i runga i te Wairua.

No konei hoki, mai o te ra i rongo ai matou, Kahore e mutu ta matou karakia me ta matou inoi mo koutou, kia whakakiia koutou ki te mohio ki tana e pai ai, i runga i nga whakaaro nui katoa, i te mahara wairua ano hoki;

10 Kia tika ai ta koutou haere, kia rite ai ki ta te Ariki, ahuareka rawa, hua rawa i runga i nga mahi pai katoa, tupu tonu i runga i te mohio ki te Atua;

11 Kia whakanuia te kaha hei whakakaha mo koutou, kia rite ki ta te mana o tona kororia, e u tonu ai, e whakamanawanui ai i runga i te hari;

12 Me te whakawhetai atu ano ki te Matua, nana nei tatou i whai tikanga ai ki tetahi wahi o te kainga o te hunga tapu i roto i te marama.

13 Nana nei tatou i whakaora mai i te kaha o te pouri, a whakawhitia ake tatou e ia ki te rangatiratanga o tana Tama aroha.

14 Kei roto nei i a ia to tatou whakaoranga i runga i ona toto, ara te murunga o nga hara.

15 Ko ia nei te ahua o te Atua e kore nei e kitea atu, ko te whanau matamua o nga mea hanga katoa.

16 Nana hoki nga mea katoa i hanga, nga mea i te rangi me nga mea i te whenua, nga mea e kitea ana me nga mea kahore e kitea, ahakoa torona, ahakoa kawanatanga, ahakoa rangatiratanga, ahakoa mana: nana, a mona te hanganga o nga mea katoa.

17 No mua ano hoki ia i nga mea katoa, nana ano hoki nga mea katoa i mau ai;

18 Ko ia ano te o te tinana, ara o te hahi: ko ia te timatanga, ko te whanau matamua i roto i te hunga mate; kia waiho ai ia hei tuatahi i roto i nga mea katoa.

19 Ko ta te Matua tera i pai ai, kia noho te huanga o nga mea katoa ki roto ki a ia;

20 Kia ma roto ai i a ia he houhanga rongo mo nga mea katoa ki a ia, kua mau nei i a ia te rongo i nga toto o tona ripeka; ae ra ma roto i a ia, ahakoa he mea no te whenua, ahakoa he mea no te rangi.

21 Me koutou hoki he tangata ke i mua, he hoariri te hinengaro i nga mahi kino, na kua meinga nei e ia kia houhia ta koutou rongo,

22 I runga i te tinana o tona kikokiko, he mea na te mate; mo koutou ano kia tapaea atu ki tona aroaro, he hunga tapu, kahore nei he koha, kahore he he;

23 Ki te pumau koutou ki te whakapono, u tonu, mau tonu, te taea te whakaneke atu i te tumanako ki ta te rongopai i rongo ai koutou, kua kauwhautia atu nei ki nga mea hanga katoa i raro o te rangi: mo reira nei ahau, a Paora, i meinga ai hei minita.

24 Tenei ahau te hari nei ki oku mamae mo koutou, ka kapi hoki i oku kikokiko nga mate o te Karaiti kahore ano i rite noa, hei ea mo tona tinana, ara mo te hahi;

25 Mo reira nei ahau i meinga ai hei minita, rite tonu ki ta te Atua tikanga ki a koutou i homai nei ki ahau, kia whakapaua te kauwhau o te kupu a te Atua,

26 O te mea ngaro i huna i era wa noa atu, i era whakatupuranga; a kua whakakitea inaianei ki tana hunga tapu,

27 He meatanga na te Atua, kia whakaaturia ki a ratou te taonga nui o te kororia o tenei mea ngaro ki roto ki nga Tauiwi, ara a te Karaiti i roto i a koutou, e tumanako atu ai ki te kororia:

28 E kauwhautia nei e matou, me te whakatupato i nga tangata katoa, me te whakaako i nga tangata katoa i runga i nga whakaaro mohio katoa, kia tapaea atu ai e matou nga tangata katoa, he mea tino tika i roto i a Karaiti Ihu:

29 Ko taku tenei e uaua nei, e tohe nei i runga i tana mahinga e kaha nei te mahi i roto i ahau.

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

To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters[a] in Christ:

Grace(D) and peace to you from God our Father.[b](E)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We always thank God,(F) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love(G) you have for all God’s people(H) the faith and love that spring from the hope(I) stored up for you in heaven(J) and about which you have already heard in the true message(K) of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit(L) and growing throughout the whole world(M)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras,(N) our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister(O) of Christ on our[d] behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.(P)

For this reason, since the day we heard about you,(Q) we have not stopped praying for you.(R) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will(S) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e](T) 10 so that you may live a life worthy(U) of the Lord and please him(V) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,(W) 11 being strengthened with all power(X) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,(Y) 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,(Z) who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance(AA) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.(AB) 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness(AC) and brought us into the kingdom(AD) of the Son he loves,(AE) 14 in whom we have redemption,(AF) the forgiveness of sins.(AG)

The Supremacy of the Son of God

15 The Son is the image(AH) of the invisible God,(AI) the firstborn(AJ) over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created:(AK) things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;(AL) all things have been created through him and for him.(AM) 17 He is before all things,(AN) and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head(AO) of the body, the church;(AP) he is the beginning and the firstborn(AQ) from among the dead,(AR) so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased(AS) to have all his fullness(AT) dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile(AU) to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,(AV) by making peace(AW) through his blood,(AX) shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies(AY) in your minds(AZ) because of[g] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled(BA) you by Christ’s physical body(BB) through death to present you(BC) holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation(BD) 23 if you continue(BE) in your faith, established(BF) and firm, and do not move from the hope(BG) held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,(BH) and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.(BI)

Paul’s Labor for the Church

24 Now I rejoice(BJ) in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,(BK) for the sake of his body, which is the church.(BL) 25 I have become its servant(BM) by the commission God gave me(BN) to present to you the word of God(BO) in its fullness— 26 the mystery(BP) that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known(BQ) among the Gentiles the glorious riches(BR) of this mystery, which is Christ in you,(BS) the hope of glory.

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing(BT) and teaching everyone with all wisdom,(BU) so that we may present everyone fully mature(BV) in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously(BW) contend(BX) with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.(BY)

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15.
  2. Colossians 1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
  3. Colossians 1:7 Or slave
  4. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
  5. Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
  6. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
  7. Colossians 1:21 Or minds, as shown by