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.
Nze Pawulo, omutume wa Kristo Yesu olw’okwagala kwa Katonda, wamu ne Timoseewo owooluganda,
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.
tuwandiikira abantu ba Katonda, abatukuvu era abooluganda abeesigwa mu Kristo ab’e Kkolosaayi, nti ekisa n’emirembe ebiva eri Katonda Kitaffe bibeerenga nammwe.
3 Very often [HYP] we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, while we are praying for you,
Buli bwe tubasabira, twebaza Katonda, Kitaawe wa Mukama waffe Yesu Kristo.
4 because we have heard that you believe in Christ Jesus, and that you love all God’s people.
Twawulira okukkiriza kwe mulina mu Kristo Yesu, n’okwagala kwe mulina eri abantu ba Katonda bonna, abatukuvu,
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].
olw’essuubi eryabategekerwa mu ggulu, lye mwawulirako mu kigambo eky’amazima, ye Enjiri.
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.
Enjiri yajja gye muli, era ebunye mu nsi yonna ng’ebala ebibala era nga yeeyongera okukula. Okuviira ddala lwe mwasooka okugiwulira, ne mutegeerera ddala amazima agali mu kisa kya Katonda, Enjiri ebadde yeeyongera okubuna mu mmwe.
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.
Epafula muddu munnaffe omwagalwa omuweereza wa Kristo omwesigwa gye muli, eyabatuusaako Enjiri eyo,
8 He told us that you love [all God’s people], just like God’s Spirit [has enabled you to] (OR, spiritually).
ye yatubuulira okwagala kwe mulina 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.
Noolwekyo, okuviira ddala ku lunaku lwe twawulira ebibafaako, tetulekangayo kubasabira na kubeegayiririra mujjuzibwe okumanya Katonda by’ayagala mu magezi gonna ne mu kutegeera okw’omwoyo.
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.
Era tweyongera okubasabira, mutambulenga nga musiimibwa Mukama era nga mumusanyusa mu buli byonna bye mukola, era nga mubala ebibala mu buli mulimu omulungi, era nga mukula mu kutegeera Katonda.
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.
Amaanyi ag’ekitiibwa kye, galibafuula abagumiikiriza mu buli nsonga yonna, mulyoke musanyuke,
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].
nga mwebaza Kitaffe eyatusaanyiza okugabana ku birungi bye yategekera abantu be abatukuvu ab’obwakabaka obw’ekitangaala.
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.
Katonda eyatuwonya n’atuggya mu maanyi g’ekizikiza aga Setaani, n’atutwala mu bwakabaka bw’Omwana we omwagalwa,
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.
atusonyiwa ebibi byaffe, n’atufuula ba ddembe.
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.
Mu ye mwe tulabira Katonda oyo atalabika, era ye yasooka okubeerawo nga byonna tebinnabaawo.
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,
Mu ye ebintu byonna mwe byatondebwa mu ggulu ne ku nsi, ebirabika n’ebitalabika oba ntebe za bwakabaka oba bwami, oba bafuzi oba ab’obuyinza; ebintu byonna byatondebwa nga biyita mu ye era ku lulwe.
17 and because it is his Son who existed before anything else existed, and because God sustains everything by what his Son [does].
Kristo yaliwo nga byonna tebinnabaawo, era mu ye ebintu byonna mwe binywezebwa.
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.
Ye gwe mutwe gw’omubiri, n’omubiri ogwo ye Kkanisa. Ye mubereberye, era ye yasooka okuzuukira mu bafu, alyoke abeerenga omubereberye mu byonna.
19 [God’s Son reveals perfectly what God his Father is like], because his Father chose to live completely in him.
Katonda yasiima okutuukiriza byonna mu ye,
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.
era mu ye ebintu byonna bitabaganyizibwa gy’ali. Yaleetawo emirembe olw’omusaayi gwe, ogwayika ku musaalaba, alyoke atabaganye eby’ensi n’eby’omu ggulu.
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,
Edda temwali kumpi ne Katonda, era ebirowoozo byammwe n’ebikolwa byammwe ebibi bye byabalabisa ng’abakyawa Katonda.
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.
Naye kaakano mutabaganye ne Kristo olw’okufa kwe, abanjuleyo mu maaso ga Katonda nga muli batukuvu era abataliiko bbala wadde ekyokunenyezebwa.
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.
Muteekwa okubeerera ddala mu kukkiriza nga munywedde era nga temusagaasagana okuva mu ssuubi ery’Enjiri gye mwawulira, eyabuulirwa abantu bonna abali ku nsi, nze Pawulo gye nafuukira omuweereza waayo.
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.
Kaakano nsanyuka olw’okubonaabona kwe mbonaabona ku lwammwe. Era kindeetera essanyu, kubanga ntuukiriza okubonaabona kwa Kristo mu mubiri gwange, nga mbonaabona ku lw’omubiri gwe, ye Kkanisa.
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.
Katonda yateekateeka okunfuula omuweereza w’Ekkanisa ye ku lwammwe, ndyoke mbabuulire ekigambo kya Katonda mu bujjuvu.
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 g165)
Ekyama ekyakwekebwa okuva edda n’edda lyonna, n’emirembe n’emirembe, kaakano kibikkuliddwa abantu be, be batukuvu be. (aiōn g165)
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].
Katonda bw’atyo bwe yasiima, alyoke amanyise Abaamawanga obugagga obw’ekitiibwa ky’ekyama ekyo. Ekyama ekyo ye Kristo abeera mu mmwe, era ly’essuubi ery’ekitiibwa.
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.
Kristo oyo gwe tutegeeza nga tuyigiriza buli muntu mu magezi gonna era nga tulabula buli omu, tulyoke twanjule buli muntu eri Katonda ng’atuukiridde 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.
Kyenva ntegana nga nfuba nga nkozesa obuyinza Katonda bw’ampa obw’amaanyi.
