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

¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

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

²To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

³We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

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

⁴Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

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.

⁵For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

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.

⁶Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

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

⁷As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

⁸Yeye alitupa habari za upendo wenu mliojaliwa na Roho.

⁸Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

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.

⁹For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

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.

¹⁰That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

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

¹¹Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

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

¹²Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

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

¹³Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

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

¹⁴In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

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

¹⁵Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

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.

¹⁶For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

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

¹⁷And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

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.

¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

¹⁹Maana Mungu alipenda utimilifu wote uwe ndani yake.

¹⁹For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

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

²⁰And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

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

²¹And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

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

²²In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

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.

²³If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

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.

²⁴Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

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

²⁵Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

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

²⁶Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

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.

²⁷To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

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.

²⁸Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

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

²⁹Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.