Colossenzen 4
1 Gij heren, doet uw dienstknechten recht en gelijk, wetende, dat ook gij een Heere hebt in de hemelen.
You masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, because you know that you have a master who is in heaven [who will say whether he approves of what you have done].
2 Houdt sterk aan in het gebed, en waakt in hetzelve met dankzegging;
Pray to God persistently, and as you pray, be alert and be thanking God.
3 Biddende meteen ook voor ons, dat God ons de deur des Woords opene, om te spreken de verborgenheid van Christus, om welke ik ook gebonden ben;
Since I am in prison [MTY] because [I declared the message about Christ] that God has now revealed, pray also for me that God will give me opportunities [MTY] to speak, in order that I might declare it.
4 Opdat ik dezelve moge openbaren, gelijk ik moet spreken.
That is, pray for me that [God will enable me to] make his message known publicly. I need to do this because I know that I should declare it.
5 Wandelt met wijsheid bij degenen, die buiten zijn, den bekwamen tijd uitkopende.
Act wisely towards those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus [MTY]; use every opportunity to do that.
6 Uw woord zij te allen tijde in aangenaamheid, met zout besprengd, opdat gij moogt weten, hoe gij een iegelijk moet antwoorden.
In particular, always speak graciously and in a pleasant way [to those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus]. As a result, you will come to know in what manner you should answer each one of them.
7 Al mijn zaken zal u bekend maken Tychikus, de geliefde broeder, en getrouwe dienaar, en mededienstknecht in de Heere;
Tychicus will tell you all that has been happening to me. He is a fellow believer whom I/we [(exc)] love and who helps me faithfully and who serves the Lord [Jesus] together with me.
8 Denwelken ik tot hetzelfde einde tot u gezonden heb, opdat hij uw zaken wete, en uw harten vertrooste;
The reason that I am sending Tychicus to you [with this letter] is that he might know how you are and in order that he might strengthen you [spiritually]. (OR, in order that you might know about us [(exc)] and in order that he might comfort you.)
9 Met Onesimus, den getrouwen en geliefden broeder, dewelke uit de uwen is; zij zullen u alles bekend maken, wat hier is.
I am sending him to you with Onesimus, who is a faithful fellow believer whom I/we [(inc)] love and who is your fellow townsman. They will tell you all about what has been happening here.
10 U groet Aristarchus, mijn medegevangene; en Markus, de neef van Barnabas, aangaande welken gij bevelen ontvangen hebt; zo hij tot u komt, ontvangt hem;
Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, and Mark, who is Barnabas’ cousin, (say that they are thinking fondly about you/send you their greetings). I have instructed you about Mark, so if he comes to you, welcome him.
11 En Jezus, gezegd Justus, welke uit de besnijdenis zijn; deze alleen zijn mijn medearbeiders in het Koninkrijk Gods, die mij een vertroosting geweest zijn.
Jesus, who is also called Justus, also (says that he is thinking fondly about you/greets you/sends you his greetings). These three men are the only Jewish [believers] who are working with me in order that people would submit to God as their king, and they have all comforted me.
12 U groet Epafras, die uit de uwen is, een dienstknecht van Christus, te allen tijde strijdende voor u in de gebeden, opdat gij staan moogt volmaakt en volkomen in al den wil van God.
Epaphras, who is your fellow townsman and who serves Christ Jesus, (says that he is thinking fondly about you/greets you/sends you his greetings). Epaphras prays earnestly for you very often, that you might be spiritually mature and that you might know fully all that God wills for you.
13 Want ik geef hem getuigenis, dat hij groten ijver heeft over u en degenen, die in Laodicea zijn, en degenen, die in Hierapolis zijn.
I can assure you that he prays this because he is deeply concerned for you, for those who live in Laodicea [city], and for those who live in Hierapolis [city].
14 U groet Lukas, de medicijnmeester, de geliefde, en Demas.
Luke, the doctor, whom I/we [(exc)] love, and Demas (say that they are thinking fondly about you/send you their greetings).
15 Groet de broeders, die in Laodicea zijn, en Nymfas, en de Gemeente, die in zijn huis is.
Tell the fellow believers who live in Laodicea [city] and Nympha and the congregation that [meets] in her house that we (are thinking fondly about them/send them our greetings).
16 En wanneer deze zendbrief van u zal gelezen zijn, maakt, dat hij ook in de gemeente der Laodicensen gelezen worde, en dat ook gij dien leest, die uit Laodicea geschreven is.
After [someone] reads this letter [publicly] to you, cause [someone] to also read it to the congregation that is in Laodicea [city]. And as for the [letter that I wrote to the congregation that is in] Laodicea [city], make sure that it is also read among you {you should also read that letter} publicly.
17 En zegt aan Archippus: Zie op de bediening, die gij aangenomen hebt in de Heere, dat gij die vervult.
Say to Archippus, “Make sure that you complete the task that God appointed you to do, because you have a close relationship with the Lord Jesus.”
18 De groetenis met mijn hand, van Paulus. Gedenkt mijn banden. De genade zij met u. Amen.
I, Paul, (am thinking fondly about you/send you my greetings). Having taken the pen from my scribe, I am now writing this myself in order that you may know that I have truly sent this letter. Remember to pray about the fact that I am in prison [MTY]. I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ would continue to act graciously towards you all.
