¹Napenda mjue jinsi ninavyofanya kazi kwa bidii kwa ajili yenu, kwa ajili ya watu wa Laodikea na kwa ajili ya wote ambao hawajapata kuniona kwa macho.

¹For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

²Nafanya hivi kusudi mioyo yao ifarijiwe na kuvutwa pamoja katika upendo, ili wajazwe uthabiti mwingi uletwao na elimu ya kweli. Hapo wataijua siri ya Mungu ambayo ni Kristo mwenyewe.

²that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,

³Ndani yake zimefichika hazina zote za hekima na elimu.

³in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.

⁴Basi, nawaambieni, msikubali kudanganywa na mtu yeyote kwa maneno ya uongo hata kama ni ya kuvutia sana.

⁴Now this I say that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.

⁵Maana, ingawa mimi niko mbali nanyi kwa mwili, lakini niko pamoja nanyi kwa roho, na ninafurahi kuona uthabiti kamili mnaosimama nao pamoja katika imani yenu kwa Kristo.

⁵For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

⁶Maadamu ninyi mmemkubali Kristo Yesu kuwa Bwana, basi, ishini katika muungano naye.

⁶As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,

⁷Mnapaswa kuwa na mizizi ndani yake, kujijenga juu yake na kuwa imara katika imani yenu kama mlivyofundishwa. Muwe na shukrani tele.

⁷rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

⁸Angalieni basi, mtu asiwapotoshe kwa udanganyifu mtupu wa hekima ya kibinadamu, ambayo chanzo chake ni mafundisho ya mapokeo ya watu na ya pepo watawala, na wala si Kristo mwenyewe!

⁸Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

⁹Maana, ndani yake Kristo katika ubinadamu wake, umo ukamilifu wote wa Mungu,

⁹For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

¹⁰nanyi mmepewa uzima kamili katika kuungana naye. Yeye yuko juu ya pepo watawala wote na wakuu wote.

¹⁰and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power;

¹¹Katika kuungana na Kristo ninyi mlitahiriwa, lakini si kwa tohara ifanywayo na watu, bali inayofanywa na Kristo mwenyewe, na ambayo inahusikana na kukombolewa kutoka katika utu wa dhambi.

¹¹in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

¹²Maana, mlipobatizwa mlizikwa pamoja na Kristo, na katika ubatizo, mlifufuliwa pia pamoja naye kwa imani yenu katika nguvu ya Mungu ambaye alimfufua Kristo kutoka wafu.

¹²having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

¹³Wakati mmoja nanyi mlikuwa mmekufa kwa sababu ya makosa yenu na kwa sababu ninyi mlikuwa watu wa mataifa mengine. Lakini Mungu amewapa ninyi uzima pamoja na Kristo. Mungu ametusamehe dhambi zetu zote;

¹³You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

¹⁴alifutilia mbali ile hati ya deni iliyokuwa inatukabili na masharti yake, na kuifuta kabisa kwa kuipigilia msalabani.

¹⁴wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;

¹⁵Juu ya msalaba Kristo aliwapokonya nguvu zao hao pepo watawala na wakuu; aliwafanya kuwa kitu cha fedheha hadharani kwa kuwaburuta kama mateka katika msafara wa ushindi wake.

¹⁵having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

¹⁶Kwa hiyo, basi, msikubali kupewa masharti na mtu yeyote kuhusu vyakula au vinywaji, siku za sherehe, sikukuu ya Mwezi mpya au Sabato.

¹⁶Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,

¹⁷Mambo ya aina hiyo ni kivuli tu cha yale yatakayokuja; ukweli wenyewe ndiye Kristo.

¹⁷which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.

¹⁸Msikubali kuhukumiwa na mtu yeyote anayejitakia kuwa wa maana kwa sababu ya maono ya pekee na ambaye anasisitiza juu ya unyenyekevu wa uongo na ibada kwa malaika. Mtu wa namna hiyo amepumbazika kwa fikira danganifu za kidunia

¹⁸Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

¹⁹na amejitenga na Kristo aliye kichwa cha huo mwili. Chini ya uongozi wa Kristo, mwili wote unalishwa na kuunganishwa pamoja kwa viungo na mishipa yake, nao hukua kama atakavyo Mungu.

¹⁹and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.

²⁰Ninyi mmekufa pamoja na Kristo na kukombolewa kutoka nguvu za pepo watawala wa ulimwengu. Kwa nini, basi, kuishi tena kama vile mngekuwa wa ulimwengu huu? Ya nini kuwekewa masharti:

²⁰If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

²¹"Msishike hiki," "Msionje kile," "Msiguse kile!"

²¹“Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch”

²²Mambo hayo yote yanahusika na vitu vyenye kuharibika mara tu vinapotumiwa; hayo ni maagizo na mafundisho ya kibinadamu tu.

²²(all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?

²³Kweli, masharti hayo yaonekana kuwa ya hekima katika namna ya ibada ya kujitakia wenyewe, unyenyekevu wa uongo na kuutendea mwili kwa ukali; lakini kwa kweli, haifai chochote kuzuia tamaa za mwili.

²³Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.