Colossians 1
1 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God--and Timothy our brother:
因天主的旨意作基督耶穌的宗徒的保祿與弟茂弟兄，
2 To the people of God and the believing brethren at Colossae who are in Christ. May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father.
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！
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, constantly praying for you as we do,
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，
4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you cherish towards all God's people,
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：
5 on account of the hope treasured up for you in Heaven. Of this hope you have already heard in the Message of the truth of the Good News.
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。
6 For it has reached you, and remains with you, just as it has also spread through the whole world, yielding fruit there and increasing, as it has done among you from the day when first you heard it and came really to know the grace of God,
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；
7 as you learned it from Epaphras our dearly-loved fellow servant. He is to you a faithful minister of Christ in our stead,
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，
8 and moreover he has informed us of your love, which is inspired by the Spirit.
也就是他給我們報告了聖神所賜與你們的愛。
9 For this reason we also, from the day we first received these tidings, have never ceased to pray for you and to entreat that you may be filled with a clear knowledge of His will accompanied by thorough wisdom and discernment in spiritual things;
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，
10 so that your lives may be worthy of the Lord and perfectly pleasing to Him, while you exhibit the results of right action of every sort and grow into a fuller knowledge of God.
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，
11 Since His power is so glorious, may you be strengthened with strength of every kind, and be prepared for cheerfully enduring all things with patience and long-suffering;
全力加強自己，賴他光榮的德能，含忍容受一切，欣然
12 and give thanks to the Father who has made us fit to receive our share of the inheritance of God's people in Light.
感謝那使我們有資格，在光明中分享聖徒福分的天父，
13 It is God who has delivered us out of the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us into the Kingdom of His dearly-loved Son,
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，
14 in whom we have our redemption--the forgiveness of our sins.
我們在祂內得到了救贖，獲得了罪赦。
15 Christ is the visible representation of the invisible God, the Firstborn and Lord of all creation.
祂是不可見的天主的肖像，是一切受造物者的首生者，
16 For in Him was created the universe of things in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, thrones, dominions, princedoms, powers--all were created, and exist through and for Him.
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。
17 And HE IS before all things and in and through Him the universe is a harmonious whole.
祂在萬有之先就，有萬有都賴祂而存在；
18 Moreover He is the Head of His Body, the Church. He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, in order that He Himself may in all things occupy the foremost place.
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，
19 For it was the Father's gracious will that the whole of the divine perfections should dwell in Him.
因為天主樂意叫整個的圓滿居在祂內，
20 And God purposed through Him to reconcile the universe to Himself, making peace through His blood, which was shed upon the Cross--to reconcile to Himself through Him, I say, things on earth and things in Heaven.
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。
21 And you, estranged as you once were and even hostile in your minds, amidst your evil deeds,
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；
22 He has now, in His human body, reconciled to God by His death, to bring you, holy and faultless and irreproachable, into His presence;
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，
23 if, indeed, you are still firmly holding to faith as your foundation, without ever shifting from your hope that rests on the Good News that you have heard, which has been proclaimed in the whole creation under Heaven, and in which I Paul have been appointed to serve.
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。
24 Now I can find joy amid my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my own person whatever is lacking in Christ's afflictions on behalf of His Body, the Church.
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；
25 I have been appointed to serve the Church in the position of responsibility entrusted to me by God for your benefit, so that I may fully deliver God's Message--
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，
26 the truth which has been kept secret from all ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His people, (aiōn g165)
這道理就是從世世代代以來所隱藏，而如今卻顯示給祂的聖徒的奧祕。 (aiōn g165)
27 to whom it was His will to make known how vast a wealth of glory for the Gentile world is implied in this truth--the truth that 'Christ is in you, the hope of glory.'
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。
28 Him we preach, admonishing every one and instructing every one, with all possible wisdom, so that we may bring every one into God's presence, made perfect through Christ.
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；
29 To this end, like an earnest wrestler, I exert all my strength in reliance upon the power of Him who is mightily at work within me.
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。
