Colossenes 4
1 Domini, quod iustum est et æquum, servis præstate: scientes quod et vos Dominum habetis in cælo.
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 Orationi instate, vigilantes in ea in gratiarum actione:
Pray to God persistently, and as you pray, be alert and be thanking God.
3 orantes simul et pro nobis, ut Deus aperiat nobis ostium sermonis ad loquendum mysterium Christi (propter quod etiam vinctus sum)
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 ut manifestem illud ita ut oportet me loqui.
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 In sapientia ambulate ad eos, qui foris sunt: tempus redimentes.
Act wisely towards those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus [MTY]; use every opportunity to do that.
6 Sermo vester semper in gratia sale sit conditus, ut sciatis quomodo oporteat vos unicuique respondere.
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 Quæ circa me sunt, omnia vobis nota faciet Tychicus charissimus frater, et fidelis minister, et conservus in Domino:
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 quem misi ad vos ad hoc ipsum ut cognoscat, quæ circa vos sunt, et consoletur corda vestra,
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 cum Onesimo charissimo, et fideli fratre, qui ex vobis est. Omnia, quæ hic aguntur, nota facient vobis.
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 Salutat vos Aristarchus concaptivus meus, et Marcus consobrinus Barnabæ, de quo accepistis mandata: si venerit ad vos, excipite illum:
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 et Iesus, qui dicitur Iustus: qui sunt ex circumcisione: hi soli sunt adiutores mei in regno Dei, qui mihi fuerunt solatio.
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 Salutat vos Epaphras, qui ex vobis est, servus Christi Iesu, semper solicitus pro vobis in orationibus, ut stetis perfecti, et pleni in omni voluntate Dei.
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 Testimonium enim illi perhibeo quod habet multum laborem pro vobis, et pro iis, qui sunt Laodiciæ, et qui Hierapoli.
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 Salutat vos Lucas medicus charissimus, et Demas.
Luke, the doctor, whom I/we [(exc)] love, and Demas (say that they are thinking fondly about you/send you their greetings).
15 Salutate fratres, qui sunt Laodiciæ, et Nympham, et quæ in domo eius est, ecclesiam.
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 Et cum lecta fuerit apud vos epistola hæc, facite ut et in Laodicensium Ecclesia legatur: et eam, quæ Laodicensium est, vos legatis.
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 Et dicite Archippo: Vide ministerium, quod accepisti in Domino, ut illud impleas.
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 Salutatio, mea manu Pauli. Memores estote vinculorum meorum. Gratia vobiscum. 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.
