Add parallel Print Page Options

Masters, give your slaves what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Devote Yourselves to Prayer

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, keep praying for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the message, to proclaim the mystery of Messiah—for which I am in prison. Pray that I may make the mystery clear, as I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, to know how you ought to answer everyone.

Further Instructions and Greetings

Tychicus—a dearly loved brother and trustworthy servant and fellow slave to the Lord—will tell you all the news about me. I sent him to you for this very purpose, so you may know about us and he may encourage your hearts. With him I sent Onesimus—a faithful and dear brother, who is one of your own. They will tell you about everything here.

10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You received instructions about him—if he comes your way, welcome him.) 11 Yeshua who is called Justus also sends his greetings. These are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God that are from among the circumcision—they have been a comfort to me.

12 Epaphras, who is one of your own, a slave of Messiah Yeshua, greets you. He is always laboring in prayer on your behalf, so you may stand complete and fully assured about everything that is God’s will. 13 For I testify that he has gone to much trouble for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the dearly loved physician, sends you greetings, and so does Demas.

15 Greet the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, as well as Nympha and the community that meets in her house. 16 When this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in Messiah’s community of Laodicea. In turn, you should read my letter coming from Laodicea.

17 Tell Archippus, “See to it that you complete the service you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

18 This greeting is in my own hand—Paul’s. Remember my chains!

Grace be with you.

οἱ κύριοι, τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὴν ἰσότητα τοῖς δούλοις παρέχεσθε, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔχετε κύριον ἐν [a]οὐρανῷ.

Τῇ προσευχῇ προσκαρτερεῖτε, γρηγοροῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ, προσευχόμενοι ἅμα καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ὁ θεὸς ἀνοίξῃ ἡμῖν θύραν τοῦ λόγου, λαλῆσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι’ ὃ καὶ δέδεμαι, ἵνα φανερώσω αὐτὸ ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι.

Ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω, τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι. ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν πάντοτε ἐν χάριτι, ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος, εἰδέναι πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποκρίνεσθαι.

Τὰ κατ’ ἐμὲ πάντα γνωρίσει ὑμῖν Τυχικὸς ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἀδελφὸς καὶ πιστὸς διάκονος καὶ σύνδουλος ἐν κυρίῳ, ὃν ἔπεμψα πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἵνα [b]γνῶτε τὰ περὶ [c]ἡμῶν καὶ παρακαλέσῃ τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, σὺν Ὀνησίμῳ τῷ πιστῷ καὶ ἀγαπητῷ ἀδελφῷ, ὅς ἐστιν ἐξ ὑμῶν· πάντα ὑμῖν γνωρίσουσιν τὰ ὧδε.

10 Ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς Ἀρίσταρχος ὁ συναιχμάλωτός μου, καὶ Μᾶρκος ὁ ἀνεψιὸς Βαρναβᾶ (περὶ οὗ ἐλάβετε ἐντολάς, ἐὰν ἔλθῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς δέξασθε αὐτόν), 11 καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ λεγόμενος Ἰοῦστος, οἱ ὄντες ἐκ περιτομῆς, οὗτοι μόνοι συνεργοὶ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, οἵτινες ἐγενήθησάν μοι παρηγορία. 12 ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς Ἐπαφρᾶς ὁ ἐξ ὑμῶν, δοῦλος [d]Χριστοῦ, πάντοτε ἀγωνιζόμενος ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς, ἵνα [e]σταθῆτε τέλειοι καὶ [f]πεπληροφορημένοι ἐν παντὶ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ. 13 μαρτυρῶ γὰρ αὐτῷ ὅτι ἔχει [g]πολὺν πόνον ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ καὶ τῶν ἐν Ἱεραπόλει. 14 ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς Λουκᾶς ὁ ἰατρὸς ὁ ἀγαπητὸς καὶ Δημᾶς. 15 ἀσπάσασθε τοὺς ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ ἀδελφοὺς καὶ [h]Νύμφαν καὶ τὴν κατ’ οἶκον αὐτῆς ἐκκλησίαν. 16 καὶ ὅταν ἀναγνωσθῇ παρ’ ὑμῖν ἡ ἐπιστολή, ποιήσατε ἵνα καὶ ἐν τῇ [i]Λαοδικέων ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀναγνωσθῇ, καὶ τὴν ἐκ Λαοδικείας ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀναγνῶτε. 17 καὶ εἴπατε Ἀρχίππῳ· Βλέπε τὴν διακονίαν ἣν παρέλαβες ἐν κυρίῳ, ἵνα αὐτὴν πληροῖς.

18 Ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ Παύλου. μνημονεύετέ μου τῶν δεσμῶν. ἡ χάρις μεθ’ [j]ὑμῶν.

Footnotes

  1. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:1 οὐρανῷ WH Treg NIV ] οὐρανοῖς RP
  2. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:8 γνῶτε WH Treg NIV ] γνῷ RP
  3. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:8 ἡμῶν WH Treg NIV ] ὑμῶν RP
  4. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:12 Χριστοῦ RP ] + Ἰησοῦ WH Treg NIV
  5. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:12 σταθῆτε WH Treg NIV ] στῆτε RP
  6. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:12 πεπληροφορημένοι WH Treg NIV ] πεπληρωμένοι RP
  7. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:13 πολὺν πόνον WH Treg NIV ] ζῆλον πολὺν RP
  8. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:15 Νύμφαν καὶ … οἶκον αὐτῆς WH NIV ] Νυμφᾶν καὶ … οἶκον αὐτῶν Treg; Νυμφᾶν καὶ … οἶκον αὐτοῦ RP
  9. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:16 Λαοδικέων WH Treg NIV ] Λαοδικαίων RP
  10. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:18 ὑμῶν WH Treg NIV ] + Ἀμήν RP

Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair,(A) because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Further Instructions

Devote yourselves to prayer,(B) being watchful and thankful. 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) Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise(F) in the way you act toward outsiders;(G) make the most of every opportunity.(H) 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

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. 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) 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

  1. Colossians 4:7 Or slave; also in verse 12
  2. Colossians 4:8 Some manuscripts that he may know about your
  3. Colossians 4:11 Greek only ones of the circumcision group