歌羅西書 1
1 因天主的旨意作基督耶穌的宗徒的保祿與弟茂弟兄，
From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, and from Timothy, also a follower of the Lord.
2 致書給在哥羅森的聖徒及在基督內忠信的弟兄， 恩寵與平安由天主我們的父賜與你們！
To Christ’s people at Colossae – the followers who are faithful to him: May God, our Father, bless you and give you peace.
3 我們在祈禱時，常為你們感謝我們的主耶穌基督的天主和父，
Whenever we pray we never fail to thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for you,
4 因為我們聽說：你們在基督耶穌內的信德，和你們對眾徒所有的愛德：
now that we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all his people,
5 這是為了那在天上給你們存留的希望，對這希望你們由福音真理的宣講人早已聽過了。
because of the hope which is kept safe for you in heaven. Of this hope you heard long ago in the true message of the good news which reached you,
6 這福音一傳到你們那裏，就如在全世界上，不斷結果，並在真理內認識了天主的恩寵那天以來，也是一樣；
bearing fruit and growing, as it does, through all the world, just as it did among you from the very day that you heard of God’s loving kindness, and understood what that loving kindness really is.
7 這福音也是由我們親愛的同僕厄帕夫辣所學的，他為你們實在是基督的忠僕役，
It is just what you learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who, as a minister of the Christ, faithfully represents us,
8 也就是他給我們報告了聖神所賜與你們的愛。
and who told us of the love with which the Spirit has inspired you.
9 為此，自從我們得到了報告那天起，就不斷為你們祈禱，懇求天主使你們對祂的旨意有充分的認識，充滿各種屬神的智慧和見識，
And therefore we, from the very day that we heard this, have never ceased praying for you, or asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God, which comes through all true spiritual wisdom and insight.
10 好使你們的行動相稱於天主，事事叫祂喜悅，在一切善功上結出果實，在認識天主上護得進展，
Then you will live lives worthy of the Master, and so please God in every way. Your lives will be fruitful in every kind of good action, and grow into a fuller knowledge of God;
11 全力加強自己，賴他光榮的德能，含忍容受一切，欣然
you will be made strong at all points with a strength worthy of the power manifested in his glory – strong to endure with patience, and even with gladness, whatever may happen to you;
12 感謝那使我們有資格，在光明中分享聖徒福分的天父，
and you will give thanks to the Father who made you fit to share the lot which awaits Christ’s people in the realms of light.
13 因為是祂由黑暗的權勢下救出了我們，並將我們移植在祂愛子的國內，
For God has rescued us from the tyranny of darkness, and has removed us into the kingdom of his Son, who is the embodiment of his love,
14 我們在祂內得到了救贖，獲得了罪赦。
and through whom we have found deliverance in the forgiveness of our sins.
15 祂是不可見的天主的肖像，是一切受造物者的首生者，
For Christ is the incarnation of the invisible God – firstborn and head of all creation;
16 因為在天上和在地上的一切，可見的與不可見的，或是上座者，或是宰制者，或是率領者，或是掌權者，都是在祂內受造的：一切都是藉著祂，並且是為了祂而受造的。
for in him was created all that is in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible – angels and archangels and all the powers of heaven.
17 祂在萬有之先就，有萬有都賴祂而存在；
All has been created through him and for him. He was before all things, and all things unite in him;
18 祂又是身體──教會的頭：祂是元始，是死者中的首生者，為使祂在萬有之上獨佔首位，
and he is the head of the church, which is his body. The firstborn from the dead, he is to the church the source of its life, that he, in all things, may stand first.
19 因為天主樂意叫整個的圓滿居在祂內，
For it pleased the Father that in him the divine nature in all its fulness should live,
20 並藉著祂使萬有，無論是地上的，是天上的，都與自己重歸於好，因著祂十字架的血立定了和平。
and through him to reconcile all things to himself (making peace by the shedding of Christ’s blood offered on the cross) – whether on earth or in heaven.
21 連你們從前也與天主隔絕，並因邪惡的行為在心意上與祂為敵；
And it pleased God that you, once estranged from him and hostile towards him in your thoughts, intent only on wickedness –
22 可是現今天主卻以祂血肉的身體，藉著死亡使你們與自己和好了，把你們呈獻在祂跟前，成為聖潔，無瑕和無可指摘的，
but now he has reconciled you to himself by the sacrifice of Christ’s earthly body in death – it has pleased God that you should stand in his presence holy, pure, and blameless,
23 只要你們在信德上站穩，堅定不移，不偏離你們由聽福音所得的希望，這福音已傳與天下一切受造物，我保祿就是這福音的僕役。
if only you remain true to your faith, firm and immovable, never abandoning the hope held out in the good news to which you listened, which has been proclaimed among all created things under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made an assistant.
24 如今我在為你們受苦，反覺高興，因為這樣我可在我的肉身上，為基督的身體──教會，補充基督的苦難所欠缺的；
Now at last I can rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf, and in my own person I supplement the afflictions endured by the Christ, for the sake of his body, the church;
25 我依照天主為你們所授與我的職責，作了這教會的僕役，好把天主的道理充分地宣揚出去，
of which I myself became a minister in virtue of the office with which God entrusted me for your benefit, to declare the message of God in all its fulness –
that truth which has been hidden from former ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to God’s people, (aiōn g165)
27 天主願意他們知道，這奧祕為外邦人是有如何豐盛的光榮，這奧祕就是基督在你們中作了你們覺得光榮的希望。
to whom it was his pleasure to make known the surpassing glory of that hidden truth when proclaimed among the Gentiles – “Christ among you! Your hope of glory!”
28 我們所傳揚的，就是這位基督，因而我們以各種智慧，勸告一切人，教訓一切人，好把一切人，呈獻於天主前，成為在基督內的成全人；
This is the Christ whom we proclaim, warning everyone, and instructing everyone, with all the wisdom that we possess, in the hope of bringing everyone into God’s presence perfected by union with Christ.
29 我就是為這事而勞苦，按祂以大能在我身上所發動的力量，盡力奮鬥。
It is for that I toil, struggling with all the energy which he inspires and which works powerfully within me.
