Colossians 4
Legacy Standard Bible
Final Instructions and Greetings
4 Masters, show to your slaves what is right and fair, (A)knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.
2 (B)Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time (C)for us as well, that God will open up to us a (D)door for (E)the word, so that we may speak (F)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also (G)been bound, 4 that I may make it (H)manifest (I)in the way I ought to speak.
5 (J)Walk in wisdom toward (K)outsiders, (L)redeeming the time. 6 (M)Let your [a]words always be [b]with grace, seasoned with (N)salt, so that you will know how you should (O)answer each person.
7 (P)Tychicus, our (Q)beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you (R)all my affairs, 8 (S)whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may (T)encourage your hearts; 9 [c]and with him (U)Onesimus, our faithful and (V)beloved brother, (W)who is one of you. They will inform you about the whole situation here.
10 (X)Aristarchus, my (Y)fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Mark, the cousin of (Z)Barnabas (about whom you received [d]instructions; (AA)if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only (AB)fellow workers for the kingdom of God (AC)who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be a comfort to me. 12 (AD)Epaphras, (AE)who is one of your number, a slave of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always (AF)striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand [e](AG)complete and (AH)fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has [f]a deep concern for you and for those who are in (AI)Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 (AJ)Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also (AK)Demas. 15 Greet the brothers who are in (AL)Laodicea and also [g]Nympha and (AM)the church that is in [h]her house. 16 (AN)And when [i]this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part (AO)read [j]my letter that is coming from (AP)Laodicea. 17 And say to (AQ)Archippus, “Take heed to the (AR)ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may [k]fulfill it.”
18 (AS)The greeting is in my own hand—[l]Paul. (AT)Remember my (AU)chains. (AV)Grace be with you.
Footnotes
- Colossians 4:6 Lit word
- Colossians 4:6 Or gracious
- Colossians 4:9 Lit along with Onesimus
- Colossians 4:10 Or commands
- Colossians 4:12 Or firm
- Colossians 4:13 Or much toil, great pain
- Colossians 4:15 Or Nymphas (masc)
- Colossians 4:15 One early ms their
- Colossians 4:16 Lit the
- Colossians 4:16 Lit the
- Colossians 4:17 Or continually fulfill
- Colossians 4:18 Lit Paul’s
Colossians 4
Lexham English Bible
4 Masters, grant your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you also have a master in heaven.
Further Advice for the Christian Life
2 Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving, 3 praying at the same time for us also, that God may open for us a door of the message, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which also I am a prisoner[a], 4 so that I may reveal[b] it, as it is necessary for me to speak. 5 Live with wisdom toward those outside, making the most of the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how it is necessary for you to answer each one.
Exhortations Regarding Fellow Workers
7 Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you all my circumstances[c], 8 whom I have sent to you for this very reason, in order that you may know our circumstances[d] and he may encourage your hearts, 9 together with Onesimus, my faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all the circumstances[e] here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions—if he should come to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only ones who are fellow workers for the kingdom of God from the circumcision, who have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, greets you, a slave of Christ[f] always struggling on behalf of you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured[g] in all the will of God. 13 For I testify to him that he is working hard[h] on behalf of you and those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the physician, our dear friend, greets you, as does Demas. 15 Greet the brothers in Laodicea, and Nympha and the church in her[i] house. 16 And whenever this letter is read among you, see to it[j] that it is read also among the Laodicean church, and that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And tell Archippus, “Direct your attention to the ministry that you received in the Lord, in order that you may complete it.”
Final Greeting and Benediction
18 The greeting is by my hand, Paul’s. Remember my imprisonment[k]. Grace be with you.
Footnotes
- Colossians 4:3 Literally “I have been bound”
- Colossians 4:4 Or “may make it clear”
- Colossians 4:7 Literally “the things according to me”
- Colossians 4:8 Literally “the things concerning us”
- Colossians 4:9 Literally “the things”
- Colossians 4:12 Some manuscripts have “of Christ Jesus”
- Colossians 4:12 Or “and filled”
- Colossians 4:13 Literally “he has much labor”
- Colossians 4:15 Some manuscripts, including the majority of Byzantine minuscules, read the masculine form of the pronoun here (“his”), understanding the form of the name “Nympha” earlier in the verse to be masculine
- Colossians 4:16 Literally “cause”
- Colossians 4:18 Literally “bonds”
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