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Colossians 4
Good News Translation
Colossians 4
Good News Translation
4 (A)Masters, be fair and just in the way you treat your slaves. Remember that you too have a Master in heaven.
Instructions
2 Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God. 3 At the same time pray also for us, so that God will give us a good opportunity to preach his message about the secret of Christ. For that is why I am now in prison. 4 Pray, then, that I may speak, as I should, in such a way as to make it clear.
5 (B)Be wise in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have. 6 (C)Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.
Final Greetings
7 (D)Our dear friend Tychicus, who is a faithful worker and fellow servant in the Lord's work, will give you all the news about me. 8 That is why I am sending him to you, in order to cheer you up by telling you how all of us are getting along. 9 (E)With him goes Onesimus, that dear and faithful friend, who belongs to your group. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
10 (F)Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have already received instructions to welcome Mark if he comes your way.) 11 Joshua, also called Justus, sends greetings too. These three are the only Jewish believers who work with me for the Kingdom of God, and they have been a great help to me.
12 (G)Greetings from Epaphras, another member of your group and a servant of Christ Jesus. He always prays fervently for you, asking God to make you stand firm, as mature and fully convinced Christians, in complete obedience to God's will. 13 I can personally testify to his hard work for you and for the people in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 (H)Luke, our dear doctor, and Demas send you their greetings.
15 Give our best wishes to the believers in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.[a] 16 After you read this letter, make sure that it is read also in the church at Laodicea. At the same time, you are to read the letter that the believers in Laodicea will send you. 17 (I)And tell Archippus, “Be sure to finish the task you were given in the Lord's service.”
18 With my own hand I write this: Greetings from Paul Do not forget my chains!
May God's grace be with you.
Footnotes
- Colossians 4:15 Nympha … her house; some manuscripts have Nymphas … his house.
Colossians 4
New International Version
Colossians 4
New International Version
4 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair,(A) because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
Further Instructions
2 Devote yourselves to prayer,(B) being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door(C) for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery(D) of Christ, for which I am in chains.(E) 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise(F) in the way you act toward outsiders;(G) make the most of every opportunity.(H) 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace,(I) seasoned with salt,(J) so that you may know how to answer everyone.(K)
Final Greetings
7 Tychicus(L) will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant[a](M) in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our[b] circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.(N) 9 He is coming with Onesimus,(O) our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you.(P) They will tell you everything that is happening here.
10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus(Q) sends you his greetings, as does Mark,(R) the cousin of Barnabas.(S) (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews[c] among my co-workers(T) for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras,(U) who is one of you(V) and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you,(W) that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature(X) and fully assured. 13 I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea(Y) and Hierapolis. 14 Our dear friend Luke,(Z) the doctor, and Demas(AA) send greetings. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea,(AB) and to Nympha and the church in her house.(AC)
16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read(AD) in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
17 Tell Archippus:(AE) “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”(AF)
18 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.(AG) Remember(AH) my chains.(AI) Grace be with you.(AJ)
Footnotes
- Colossians 4:7 Or slave; also in verse 12
- Colossians 4:8 Some manuscripts that he may know about your
- Colossians 4:11 Greek only ones of the circumcision group
Colossians 4
Contemporary English Version
Colossians 4
Contemporary English Version
4 (A) Slave owners, be fair and honest with your slaves. Don't forget that you have a Master in heaven.
2 Never give up praying. And when you pray, keep alert and be thankful. 3 Be sure to pray that God will make a way for us to spread his message and explain the mystery about Christ, even though I am in jail for doing this. 4 Please pray that I will make the message as clear as possible.
5 (B) When you are with unbelievers, always make good use of the time. 6 (C) Be pleasant and hold their interest when you speak the message. Choose your words carefully and be ready to give answers to anyone who asks questions.
Final Greetings
7 (D)(E) Tychicus is the dear friend, who faithfully works and serves the Lord with us, and he will give you the news about me. 8 I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along. 9 (F) Onesimus, the dear and faithful follower from your own group, is coming with him. The two of them will tell you everything that has happened here.
10 (G) Aristarchus is in jail with me. He sends greetings to you, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have already been told to welcome Mark, if he visits you. 11 Jesus, who is known as Justus, sends his greetings. These three men are the only Jewish followers who have worked with me for the kingdom of God. They have given me much comfort.
12 (H) Your own Epaphras, who serves Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He always prays hard that you may fully know what the Lord wants you to do and that you may do it completely. 13 I have seen how much trouble he has gone through for you and for the followers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14 (I) Our dear doctor Luke sends you his greetings, and so does Demas.
15 Give my greetings to the followers at Laodicea, especially to Nympha and the church that meets in her home.
16 After this letter has been read to your people, be sure to have it read in the church at Laodicea. And you should read the letter that I have sent to them.[a]
17 (J) Remind Archippus to do the work that the Lord has given him to do.
18 I am signing this letter myself: PAUL.
Don't forget that I am in jail.
I pray that God will be kind to you.
Footnotes
- 4.16 the letter that I have sent to them: This is the only mention of the letter to the church at Laodicea.
Colossians 4
New Living Translation
Colossians 4
New Living Translation
4 Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven.
An Encouragement for Prayer
2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive[a] so that you will have the right response for everyone.
Paul’s Final Instructions and Greetings
7 Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. 9 I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here.
10 Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. 11 Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!
12 Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. 13 I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14 Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. 15 Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters[b] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
16 After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them.
17 And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.”
18 HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL.
Remember my chains.
May God’s grace be with you.
Colossians 4
New Century Version
Colossians 4
New Century Version
4 Masters, give what is good and fair to your slaves. Remember that you have a Master in heaven.
What the Christians Are to Do
2 Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God. 3 Also pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. Pray that we can preach the secret that God has made known about Christ. This is why I am in prison. 4 Pray that I can speak in a way that will make it clear, as I should.
5 Be wise in the way you act with people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity. 6 When you talk, you should always be kind and pleasant so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.
News About the People with Paul
7 Tychicus is my dear brother in Christ and a faithful minister and servant with me in the Lord. He will tell you all the things that are happening to me. 8 This is why I am sending him: so you may know how we are[a] and he may encourage you. 9 I send him with Onesimus, a faithful and dear brother in Christ, and one of your group. They will tell you all that has happened here.
10 Aristarchus, a prisoner with me, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, greet you. (I have already told you what to do about Mark. If he comes, welcome him.) 11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also greets you. These are the only Jewish believers who work with me for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, a servant of Jesus Christ, from your group, also greets you. He always prays for you that you will grow to be spiritually mature and have everything God wants for you. 13 I know he has worked hard for you and the people in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Demas and our dear friend Luke, the doctor, greet you.
15 Greet the brothers and sisters in Laodicea. And greet Nympha and the church that meets in her house. 16 After this letter is read to you, be sure it is also read to the church in Laodicea. And you read the letter that I wrote to Laodicea. 17 Tell Archippus, “Be sure to finish the work the Lord gave you.”
18 I, Paul, greet you and write this with my own hand. Remember me in prison. Grace be with you.
Footnotes
- 4:8 so . . . are Some Greek copies read “so he may know how you are.”
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New Century Version (NCV) 
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.