¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

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

²to the saints and faithful brothers The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the 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 God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

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

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

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

⁵because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News,

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 has come to you; even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew 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 you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

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

⁸who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

⁸Yeye alitupa habari za upendo wenu mliojaliwa na Roho.

⁹For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and 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.

¹⁰that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the 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, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;

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

¹²giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance 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 delivered us out of the power 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 our redemption, TR adds “through his blood,” the forgiveness of our sins;

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

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

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

¹⁶For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through 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.

¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

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

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

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 all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;

¹⁹Maana Mungu alipenda utimilifu wote uwe ndani yake.

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

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

²¹You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,

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

²²yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and blameless before him,

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

²³if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

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 my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, 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 was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill 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 for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

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

²⁷to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, 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 proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

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.

²⁹for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

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