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
GOD’S WORD Translation
4 Masters, be just and fair to your slaves because you know that you also have a master in heaven.
Advice for All Christians
2 Keep praying. Pay attention when you offer prayers of thanksgiving. 3 At the same time also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to speak the word so that we may tell the mystery about Christ. It is because of this mystery that I am a prisoner. 4 Pray that I may make this mystery as clear as possible. This is what I have to do.
5 Be wise in the way you act toward those who are outside ⌞the Christian faith⌟. Make the most of your opportunities.
6 Everything you say should be kind and well thought out so that you know how to answer everyone.
Greetings from Paul and His Coworkers
7 I’m sending Tychicus to you. He is our dear brother, trustworthy deacon, and partner in the Lord’s work. He will tell you everything that is happening to me. 8 I’m sending him to you so that you may know how we are doing and so that he may encourage you. 9 I’m sending Onesimus with him. Onesimus is from your city and is our faithful and dear brother. They will tell you about everything that’s happening here.
10 Aristarchus, who is a prisoner like me, sends greetings. So does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have received instructions about Mark. If he comes to you, welcome him. 11 Jesus, called Justus, also greets you. They are the only converts from the Jewish religion who are working with me for God’s kingdom. They have provided me with comfort. 12 Epaphras, a servant of Christ Jesus from your city, greets you. He always prays intensely for you. He prays that you will continue to be mature and completely convinced of everything that God wants. 13 I assure you that he works hard for you and the people in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 My dear friend Luke, the physician, and Demas greet you. 15 Greet our brothers and sisters in Laodicea, especially Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
16 After you have read this letter, read it in the church at Laodicea. Make sure that you also read the letter from Laodicea.
17 Tell Archippus to complete all the work that he started as the Lord’s servant.
18 I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. Remember that I’m a prisoner. God’s good will [a] be with you.
Footnotes
- 4:18 Or “grace.”
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.
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