¹Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus, by God's will, and Timotheus the brother,

¹Mimi Paulo, mtume wa Kristo Yesu kwa mapenzi ya Mungu, na ndugu Timotheo,

²to the holy and faithful brethren in Christ which [are] in Colosse. Grace to you and peace from God our Father [and Lord Jesus Christ].

²tunawaandikia ninyi watu wa Mungu huko Kolosai, ndugu zetu waaminifu katika kuungana na Kristo. Tunawatakieni neema na amani kutoka kwa Mungu Baba yetu.

³We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ continually [when] praying for you,

³Daima tunamshukuru Mungu, Baba wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo, wakati tunapowaombea.

⁴having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which ye have towards all the saints,

⁴Maana tumesikia juu ya imani yenu katika Kristo Yesu na juu ya upendo wenu kwa watu wote wa Mungu.

⁵on account of the hope which [is] laid up for you in the heavens; of which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the glad tidings,

⁵Wakati ujumbe ule wa kweli, yaani Habari Njema, ilipowafikieni kwa mara ya kwanza, mlipata kusikia juu ya lile tumaini linalopatikana kwake. Kwa sababu hiyo imani na upendo wenu vinategemea jambo lile mnalotumainia ambalo mmewekewa salama mbinguni.

⁶which are come to you, as [they are] in all the world, [and] are bearing fruit and growing, even as also among you, from the day ye heard [them] and knew indeed the grace of God, in truth:

⁶Habari Njema inazidi kuzaa matunda na kuenea ulimwenguni kote kama vile ilivyofanya kwenu ninyi tangu siku ile mliposikia juu ya neema ya Mungu na kuitambua ilivyo kweli.

⁷even as ye learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-bondman, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you,

⁷Mlijifunza juu ya neema ya Mungu kutoka kwa Epafra, mtumishi mwenzetu, ambaye ni mfanyakazi mwaminifu wa Kristo kwa niaba yetu.

⁸who has also manifested to us your love in [the] Spirit.

⁸Yeye alitupa habari za upendo wenu mliojaliwa na Roho.

⁹For this reason *we* also, from the day we heard [of your faith and love], do not cease praying and asking for you, to the end that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

⁹Kwa sababu hiyo tumekuwa tukiwaombeeni daima tangu tulipopata habari zenu. Tunamwomba Mungu awajazeni ujuzi kamili wa mapenzi yake, awajazeni hekima yote na elimu iletwayo na Roho wake.

¹⁰[so as] to walk worthily of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing by the true knowledge of God;

¹⁰Hapo mtaweza kuishi kama anavyotaka Bwana na kutenda daima yanayompendeza. Maisha yenu yatakuwa yenye matunda ya kila namna ya matendo mema na mtazidi kukua katika kumjua Mungu.

¹¹strengthened with all power according to the might of his glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy;

¹¹Mungu awajalieni nguvu kwa uwezo wake mtukufu ili mweze kustahimili kila kitu kwa uvumilivu.

¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for sharing the portion of the saints in light,

¹²Na kwa furaha, mshukuruni Baba aliyewawezesha ninyi kuwa na sehemu yenu katika mambo yale Mungu aliyowawekea watu wake katika utawala wa mwanga.

¹³who has delivered us from the authority of darkness, and translated [us] into the kingdom of the Son of his love:

¹³Yeye alituokoa katika nguvu ya giza, akatuleta salama katika ufalme wa Mwanae mpenzi,

¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins;

¹⁴ambaye kwa njia yake tunakombolewa, yaani dhambi zetu zinaondolewa.

¹⁵who is image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation;

¹⁵Kristo ni mfano wa Mungu asiyeonekana; ni mzaliwa wa kwanza wa viumbe vyote.

¹⁶because by him were created all things, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or authorities: all things have been created by him and for him.

¹⁶Maana kwa njia yake vitu vyote viliumbwa duniani na mbinguni, vitu vinavyoonekana na visivyoonekana: wenye enzi, watawala, wakuu na wenye mamlaka. Vyote viliumbwa kwa njia yake na kwa ajili yake.

¹⁷And *he* is before all, and all things subsist together by him.

¹⁷Kristo alikuwako kabla ya vitu vyote; kwa kuungana naye, vyote vyadumu mahali pake.

¹⁸And *he* is the head of the body, the assembly; who is [the] beginning, firstborn from among the dead, that *he* might have the first place in all things:

¹⁸Yeye ni kichwa cha mwili wake, yaani kanisa; yeye ni chanzo cha uhai wa huo mwili. Yeye ndiye mwanzo, mzaliwa wa kwanza aliyefufuliwa kutoka wafu, ili awe na nafasi ya kwanza katika vitu vyote.

¹⁹for in him all the fulness [of the Godhead] was pleased to dwell,

¹⁹Maana Mungu alipenda utimilifu wote uwe ndani yake.

²⁰and by him to reconcile all things to itself, having made peace by the blood of his cross -- by him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.

²⁰Kwa njia yake Mungu alivipatanisha naye vitu vyote naam, viumbe vyote mbinguni na duniania; alileta amani kwa damu ya Kristo msalabani.

²¹And you, who once were alienated and enemies in mind by wicked works, yet now has it reconciled

²¹Hapo kwanza ninyi pia mlikuwa mbali na Mungu na mlikuwa adui zake kwa sababu ya fikira zenu na matendo yenu maovu.

²²in the body of his flesh through death; to present you holy and unblamable and irreproachable before it,

²²Lakini sasa, kwa kifo cha Mwanae aliyeishi hapa duniani, Mungu amewapatanisha naye, kusudi awalete mbele yake mkiwa watakatifu, safi na bila lawama.

²³if indeed ye abide in the faith founded and firm, and not moved away from the hope of the glad tidings, which ye have heard, which have been proclaimed in the whole creation which [is] under heaven, of which *I* Paul became minister.

²³Mnapaswa, lakini kuendelea kuwa imara na thabiti katika imani hiyo, na msikubali kusukumwa mbali na tumaini lile mlilopata wakati mlipoisikia Habari Njema. Mimi Paulo nimekuwa mtumishi wa hiyo Habari Njema ambayo imekwisha hubiriwa kila kiumbe duniani.

²⁴Now, I rejoice in sufferings for you, and I fill up that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh, for his body, which is the assembly;

²⁴Na sasa nafurahi kuteseka kwa ajili yenu, maana kwa mateso yangu hapa duniani, nasaidia kukamilisha kile kilichopungua bado katika mateso ya Kristo kwa ajili ya mwili wake, yaani kanisa.

²⁵of which *I* became minister, according to the dispensation of God which [is] given me towards you to complete the word of God,

²⁵Nami nimefanywa kuwa mtumishi wa kanisa kufuatana na mpango wake Mungu ambao alinikabidhi kwa faida yenu. Mpango wenyewe ni kuutangaza kwa ukamilifu ujumbe wake,

²⁶the mystery which [has been] hidden from ages and from generations, but has now been made manifest to his saints;

²⁶ambao ni siri aliyowaficha binadamu wote tangu milele, lakini sasa amewajulisha watu wake.

²⁷to whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you the hope of glory:

²⁷Mpango wa Mungu ni kuwajulisha watu wake siri hii kuu na tukufu ambayo ni kwa ajili ya watu wote. Na, siri yenyewe ndiyo hii: Kristo yuko ndani yenu, na jambo hilo lamaanisha kwamba ninyi mtaushiriki utukufu wa Mungu.

²⁸whom *we* announce, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, to the end that we may present every man perfect in Christ.

²⁸Kwa sababu hiyo tunamhubiri Kristo kwa watu wote; tunawaonya na kuwafundisha wote kwa hekima yote, ili tuweze kumleta kila mmoja mbele ya Mungu akiwa amekomaa katika kuungana na Kristo.

²⁹Whereunto also I toil, combating according to his working, which works in me in power.

²⁹Kwa madhumuni hayo mimi nafanya kazi na kujitahidi nikiitumia nguvu kuu ya Kristo ifanyayo kazi ndani yangu.