Colossians 4
English Standard Version
4 Masters, treat your bondservants[a] justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Further Instructions
2 (A)Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it (B)with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may (C)open to us a door for the word, (D)to declare the mystery of Christ, (E)on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 (F)Walk in wisdom toward (G)outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always (H)be gracious, (I)seasoned with salt, (J)so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Final Greetings
7 Tychicus will tell you (K)all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant[b] in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him (L)Onesimus, our faithful and (M)beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.
10 (N)Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark (O)the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—(P)if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called (Q)Justus. (R)These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and (S)they have been a comfort to me. 12 (T)Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always (U)struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand (V)mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 (W)Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does (X)Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers[c] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and (Y)the church in her house. 16 And when (Z)this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to (AA)Archippus, “See that you fulfill (AB)the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”
18 I, Paul, (AC)write this greeting with my own hand. (AD)Remember (AE)my chains. (AF)Grace be with you.
Footnotes
- Colossians 4:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; likewise for servant in verse 12
- Colossians 4:7 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word sundoulos, see Preface
- Colossians 4:15 Or brothers and sisters
ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4
SBL Greek New Testament
4 1 οἱ κύριοι, τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὴν ἰσότητα τοῖς δούλοις παρέχεσθε, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔχετε κύριον ἐν [a]οὐρανῷ.
2 Τῇ προσευχῇ προσκαρτερεῖτε, γρηγοροῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ, 3 προσευχόμενοι ἅμα καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ὁ θεὸς ἀνοίξῃ ἡμῖν θύραν τοῦ λόγου, λαλῆσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι’ ὃ καὶ δέδεμαι, 4 ἵνα φανερώσω αὐτὸ ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι.
5 Ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω, τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι. 6 ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν πάντοτε ἐν χάριτι, ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος, εἰδέναι πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποκρίνεσθαι.
7 Τὰ κατ’ ἐμὲ πάντα γνωρίσει ὑμῖν Τυχικὸς ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἀδελφὸς καὶ πιστὸς διάκονος καὶ σύνδουλος ἐν κυρίῳ, 8 ὃν ἔπεμψα πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἵνα [b]γνῶτε τὰ περὶ [c]ἡμῶν καὶ παρακαλέσῃ τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, 9 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
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:1 οὐρανῷ WH Treg NIV ] οὐρανοῖς RP
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:8 γνῶτε WH Treg NIV ] γνῷ RP
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:8 ἡμῶν WH Treg NIV ] ὑμῶν RP
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:12 Χριστοῦ RP ] + Ἰησοῦ WH Treg NIV
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:12 σταθῆτε WH Treg NIV ] στῆτε RP
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:12 πεπληροφορημένοι WH Treg NIV ] πεπληρωμένοι RP
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:13 πολὺν πόνον WH Treg NIV ] ζῆλον πολὺν RP
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:15 Νύμφαν καὶ … οἶκον αὐτῆς WH NIV ] Νυμφᾶν καὶ … οἶκον αὐτῶν Treg; Νυμφᾶν καὶ … οἶκον αὐτοῦ RP
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:16 Λαοδικέων WH Treg NIV ] Λαοδικαίων RP
- ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ 4:18 ὑμῶν WH Treg NIV ] + Ἀμήν RP
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture quotations marked SBLGNT are from the The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software