< Colossians 1 >
1 I, Paul, [am writing this letter to you], and our fellow believer Timothy [is with me]. I am an apostle who represents Christ Jesus, because that is what God wanted.
Paulo, Intumwa ya Yesu Kristo mu kwenda kwa Nyamuanga, na Timotheo owasu,
2 [I am sending this letter] to you who are in Colossae [city], and who are God’s people, and our faithful fellow believers who have a close relationship with Christ. We pray that God our Father will be acting kindly towards you, and that he will cause you to have [inner] peace.
ku bhekilisha na bhasu abheikanyibhwa mu Kristo bhanu bhali Kolosai. Echigongo chibhe kwemwe, no mulembe okusoka ku Nyamuanga Lata weswe.
3 Very often [HYP] we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, while we are praying for you,
Echisosha isime ku Nyamuanga, Lata wa Latabhugenyi weswe Yesu Kristo, na echibhasabhila kwiya kafu.
4 because we have heard that you believe in Christ Jesus, and that you love all God’s people.
Chonguywe elikilisha lyemwe mu Yesu Kristo no kwenda kunu mulinakwo ku bhaliya bhona bhanu bhauywe ingulu ya Nyamuanga.
5 You do that because you confidently expect to receive that which God is (reserving/keeping safe) for you in heaven, which you heard about previously when you heard the true message, that is, the message [about Christ].
Muli no kwenda kunu kulwo kwiikanya kwe chimali kunu mwabhikiywe Mulwile ingulu yemwe. Mwonguywe ingulu yo kwiikanya okwo okwe chimali guchali mu musango gwo kumasha, omusango gwo bhwana,
6 [People] proclaimed it [PRS] to you, just like [people] have proclaimed it in many different countries [HYP, IDM]. The true message is changing more and more people’s lives, just like it changed your lives because you heard it and you truly experienced that God acts kindly towards us in ways we do not deserve.
gunu gwijile kwemwe. Omusango gwo bhwana gunu gwibhuye litwasho na kuswila Chalo chona. One eikola kutya mwiimwe okusokelela ku lusiku lunu mwonguywe no kwiingila okulubhana ne chigongo cha Nyamuanga mu kumasha.
7 That is just what Epaphras taught you [would happen]. We love Epaphras. He serves Christ together with us and works for Christ faithfully for your benefit.
Gunu nigwo omusango gwo bhwana gunu mweigiye okusoka ku Epafra, omwendwa weswe omukosi wejasu, unu ali mukosi mwiikanyibhwa wa Kristo kulweswe.
8 He told us that you love [all God’s people], just like God’s Spirit [has enabled you to] (OR, spiritually).
Epafra agukolele gumenyekane kweswe okwenda kwemwe mu Mwoyo.
9 Because of what we heard about you, we have also been praying [LIT] very often to God for you [HYP], ever since we heard this report about you. We pray that you will truly know all that God wants you to do; that is, that you will become very wise, and that you will understand spiritual matters well.
Kunsonga yo kwenda kunu, okusokelela ku lusiku lunu chonguywe kutya, chichali kusinga kubhasabhila. Echibhalikisho ati mwijusibhwe obhwenge bhwo kwenda kwaye mu bhwengeso bhwona no bhumenyi bhwe chinyamwoyo.
10 We have been praying like that in order that you will conduct yourselves as the Lord’s people should conduct themselves, in order that you will please the Lord in every way. Specifically, we have been praying like that in order that you will be doing every sort of good deed [IDM] and in order that you will be getting to know God truly, more and more.
Echisabhwa ati mulibhatile mu bhwiikanyibhwa obhwa Latabhugenyi mu ngendo ejo jikondelesishe. Echisabhwa ati omwibhula litwasho mu bhuli chikolwa che kisi na ati omukula mu bhumenyi bhwa Nyamuanga.
11 And we pray that [God] will greatly strengthen you [spiritually] with the mighty power that he has shown [to people], in order that you will always be steadfast and patient [when you experience difficulties], while [at the same time] you will be rejoicing.
Echisabhwa ati mutule okutendwa amanaga mu bhuli bhutulo okulubhana na managa ya likusho lyaye mu kwigumilisha na mu kwikomesha Leona.
12 And we pray that you will be thanking God our Father, because he has enabled you/us to receive the things that he will give to his people in heaven [SYN].
Echisabhwa ati, mu kukondelwa, omusosha isime ku Lata, unu abhakola emwe mutule okubha ebhala mu kulya omwandu gwa bhekilisha mu bhwelu.
13 God our Father rescued us [spiritually] so that the evil one no longer rules us [MET, MTY], and he caused us now to be ruled by his Son, whom he loves.
Achikisishe okusoka mu bhuteile bhwe chisute no kuchifululila mu bhukama bhwo Mwana waye omwendwa.
14 That is, because of our relationship with his Son (OR, because of what the one who is also God did), God has redeemed/bought us; in particular, he has forgiven our sins.
Mu Mwana waye chili no kwelesha, unu ali musasisi we bhibhibhi.
15 God’s Son reveals perfectly what God, his Father, is like, whom no one can see. God’s Son existed before and ranks above everything that God has created.
Omwana ni chijejekanyo cha Nyamuanga unu atakubhonekana. Ni wo bhubhele mu bhumogi bhwona.
16 When God created everything that is on the earth, he did it by having his Son do it. He created everything that [people] can see, and also everything which is in heaven that [people] cannot see. In particular, his Son created all ranks of important spirit beings. [And his Son ranks above everything], because God by the work of had his Son, and because by his Son all things were created {because [God] had his Son create everything} in order that everything might praise his Son,
Kulwo kubha ku mwene ebhinu bhyona bhyayangilwe, bhilya bhinu bhili mu lwile na bhinu bhilimo mu chalo, bhinu ebhibhonekana na bhinu bhitakubhonekana. Bhikabha ni bhya chikama amwi bhya bhutulo amwi bhya bhutungi amwi ebhya managa, ebhinu bhyona bhiyangilwe no mwene na ingulu yaye.
17 and because it is his Son who existed before anything else existed, and because God sustains everything by what his Son [does].
omwene niwe atangatiye ebhinu bhyona, na mu mwene bhinu bhyona bhigwatene amwi.
18 And [God’s Son ranks above everything], because it is his Son who [rules over his people] [MET] [as a person’s] head [controls his physical] body, because his Son causes his people to live [spiritually]. [God’s Son] is the first one who became alive again, in order that he should become more important than anything and everyone.
No mwene niwe mutwe gwo mubhili niyo ikanisa, mwenene niwe obhwambilo no mwibhulwa wo bhubhele okusoka mu bhafuye, kwibhyo, ana omwanya gwo kwamba agati ye bhinu bhyona.
19 [God’s Son reveals perfectly what God his Father is like], because his Father chose to live completely in him.
Kulwo kubha Nyamuanga akondeleywe ati okukumila kwaye nukwikala mu mwene,
20 [God our Father caused his Son to rule us], because he decided to reconcile with himself everything that is on earth and that is in heaven by what his Son did, in order that everything might honor his Son; that is, God our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself as a result of his [Son’s] blood [flowing when he died] on the cross. [The chiastic material is rearranged below so that the directly related propositional clusters are joined together.] 13 God our Father rescued us [spiritually] so that we are no longer ruled by the evil one, and God our Father caused us now to be ruled by his Son (OR, the man who is also God) whom he loves. 14a That is, by means of what his Son did, we have been redeemed by God, our Father. 14b In particular, our sins have been forgiven by God, our Father. 20 God, our Father, has done this because he decided to reconcile to himself, by means of his Son, everything that is on earth and that is in heaven, in order that his Son might be honored; that is, God, our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself by means of God’s Son’s blood [flowing out when he died] on the cross. 15b God cannot be seen by anyone, 15a but his Son reveals perfectly what God—his Father—is like, 19a because it is in his Son that the Father chose 19b that he himself would dwell completely. 15c God’s Son ranks above everything 15d that has been created, 16 because it was by means of God’s Son that God created everything that is on the earth and that can be seen by people, and also everything that is in heaven and that cannot be seen by people. In particular, all types of important spirit beings were created by means of him, since everything has been created by God by means of God’s Son. And his Son ranks above everything, because everything has been created by God, in order that God’s Son might be honored by everything, 17 and because it is he who existed before anything else existed, and since everything is sustained by God by means of God’s Son. 18 And God’s Son ranks above everything because it is he who [rules over all believers, just like a person’s] head [controls his physical body, because he causes all believers to live spiritually]. His Son is the first one who rose from among those who have died, in order that he should become more important than everything and everyone.
no kugwatanya ebhinu bhyona kwaye ku mwene mu njila yo mwana waye. Nyamuanga akolele omulembe okulabha mu nsagama yo musalabha gwaye. Nyamuanga agwatanyisishe ebhinu bhyona mu mwenene, alabha ni bhinu bhya mu chalo amwi bhinu bhya Mulwile.
21 As for you, [although] formerly God [considered you his] enemies (OR, [God considered you] as alienated [from him]) and [although] you were formerly hostile [to God] because you thought evil thoughts and because you did evil deeds,
Emwe one, mu mwanya gumwi kwaliga muli bhagenyi ku Nyamuanga na mwaliga muli bhasoko bhaye mu bhwenge na mu bhikolwa bhibhibhi.
22 nevertheless, God our Father has now reconciled you [with himself. He did that] as a result of his Son dying physically. He did it in order that you should be completely holy when he brings you into his presence.
Mbe nawe woli abhagwatanyishe emwe kwo mubhili gwaye okulabha ku lufu. Akolele kutya koleleki abhalete emwe abhwelu, bhanu mutane-solo nolwo kakojole kona imbele yaye,
23 He wants you to continue [DOU] to believe the message about Christ; specifically, he wants you to continue to be stable/steadfast and to continue to confidently expect to receive that which you heard about when you heard that message. That message has been proclaimed {They have proclaimed that message} to people in very many places [HYP]; and I, Paul, also become someone who tells it to people.
mbe mukagendelela mu likilisha, lwa kutyo mwalumatanyibhwe ni mukomela, nolwo obhutasosibhwao no kusilwa kula mu kusoka mu liikanya lyo bhubhasi elyo musango gwo bhwana gunu mwonguywe. Gunu nigwo omusango gwo bhwana gunu gwalasibhwe ku bhuli munu unu ayangilwe emwalo yo lwile. Gunu nigwo omusango gwo bhwana gunu kugwo anye, Paulo, mwabhee mukosi.
24 At the present time I am rejoicing that I am suffering for your benefit; that is, I am completing what Christ [decided] that I should suffer physically for the benefit of all believers, [who are as dear to him as] his own body.
Woli enikondelelwa jinyako Jani kulwa ingulu yemwe. Nanye enikumisha mu mubhili gwani chinu chinkeyeye kulwa jinyako ja Kristo kulwa ingulu yo mubhili gwaye, gunu guli Kanisa.
25 I myself became someone who serves God’s people, because I was appointed {[God] appointed me} to be responsible to [help] you [who are non-Jews]. I became one who serves God’s people in order that I should make known to you non-Jews the whole message from/about God.
Anye nili mukosi wa likanisa linu, kisi-kisi no bhukosi bhunu nayanilwe okusoka ku Nyamuanga kulwa ingulu yemwe, okwijusha omusango gwa Nyamuanga.
26 [We did not know this message previously; that is, God] concealed it from [the people who lived in all] the previous ages, but he has now revealed it to his people. (aiōn )
Chinu nicho echimali cha imbisike inu yaliga iselekelwe mu miyaka myafu na ku maimbo gona. Mbe nawe woli yasuluywe ku bhona bhanu abhekilisha mu mwene. (aiōn )
27 That is, God decided to reveal to them this message, which declares that he will greatly bless the non-Jews. Specifically, this message declares that Christ, [by his Spirit], will live in you who are non-Jews, with the result that you confidently expect that you will experience how glorious [God is].
Ni ku bhaliya bhanu Nyamuanga aga endele okusulula kutyo bhuli obhunibhi bhwa likusho elya imbisike ye chimali inu agati ya Maanga. Ni ati Kristo abhalimo emwe, obhubhasi bhwa likusho linu elija.
28 We tell about Christ [to every class of persons]; we warn them, and specifically, we teach everyone very wisely. We do this in order that every person who (has a close relationship with/is united to) Christ may be (all that God wants them to be/perfect) when we present them to Christ.
Unu niwe echimulasha. Nichibhekengya bhuli munu, no kumwiigisha bhuli munu kwo bhwengeso bhwona, koleleki ati chimulete bhuli munu akumiye mu Kristo.
29 In order that I might [achieve/accomplish this], I am also working very hard, depending on Christ to empowering me very greatly.
Ingulu ya ganu, anye enikomesha no kwilwanilila okulubhana na managa gaye ganu agakola emilimu munda yani mu bhutulo.