Wakolosai 1
1 Paulo, mtume wa Kristo Yesu, kwa mapenzi ya Mungu, na Timotheo ndugu yetu:
Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and brother Timothy,
2 Kwa ndugu watakatifu na waaminifu katika Kristo, waishio Kolosai: Neema na amani zitokazo kwa Mungu Baba yetu ziwe nanyi.
to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Sovereign Jesus Christ.
3 Siku zote tunamshukuru Mungu, Baba wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo, tunapowaombea ninyi,
We always give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you
4 kwa sababu tumesikia kuhusu imani yenu katika Kristo Yesu, na upendo wenu mlio nao kwa watakatifu wote:
(having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love toward all the saints),
5 imani na upendo ule utokao katika tumaini mlilowekewa akiba mbinguni, na ambalo mmesikia habari zake katika neno la kweli, yaani, ile Injili
because of the hope that is being reserved for you in the heavens, of which you have already heard through the Word of the Truth
6 iliyowafikia ninyi. Duniani kote Injili hii inazaa matunda na kuenea kama ilivyokuwa kwenu tangu siku ile mlipoisikia na kuielewa neema ya Mungu katika kweli yote.
(the Gospel that has come to you just as also in all the world, where it is producing fruit and growing just as also among you, from the day in which you heard about and truly understood God's grace),
7 Mlijifunza habari zake kutoka kwa Epafra, mtumishi mwenzetu mpendwa, yeye aliye mhudumu mwaminifu wa Kristo kwa ajili yenu,
even as you learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your behalf,
8 ambaye pia ametuambia kuhusu upendo wenu katika Roho.
who also reported to us your love in spirit.
9 Kwa sababu hii, tangu siku ile tuliposikia habari zenu, hatujakoma kuomba kwa ajili yenu na kumsihi Mungu awajaze ninyi maarifa ya mapenzi yake katika hekima yote ya kiroho na ufahamu.
For this very reason, since the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the real knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
10 Nasi tunaomba haya ili mpate kuishi maisha yanayostahili mbele za Bwana, na mpate kumpendeza kwa kila namna: mkizaa matunda kwa kila kazi njema, mkikua katika kumjua Mungu,
in order for you to walk worthily of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way, being fruitful in every good work and growing into the real knowledge of God;
11 mkiwa mmetiwa nguvu kwa uwezo wote kwa kadiri ya nguvu yake yenye utukufu, ili mpate kuwa na wingi wa saburi na uvumilivu. Nanyi kwa furaha
being enabled with all capability according to the strength that resides in His glory, for all endurance and steadfastness.
12 mkimshukuru Baba, ambaye amewastahilisha kushiriki katika urithi wa watakatifu katika ufalme wa nuru.
Nor have we stopped giving thanks joyfully to the Father who has qualified us for the share in the inheritance of the saints in the Light;
13 Kwa maana ametuokoa kutoka ufalme wa giza na kutuingiza katika ufalme wa Mwana wake mpendwa,
who delivered us out of the dominion of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 ambaye katika yeye tunao ukombozi, yaani msamaha wa dhambi.
in whom we have the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins.
15 Yeye ni mfano wa Mungu asiyeonekana, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa viumbe vyote.
He is the visible representation of the invisible God, ‘Firstborn’ over all creation,
16 Kwake yeye vitu vyote vilivyoko mbinguni na juu ya nchi viliumbwa: vitu vinavyoonekana na visivyoonekana, viwe ni viti vya enzi au falme, au wenye mamlaka au watawala; vitu vyote viliumbwa na yeye na kwa ajili yake.
because by Him all things were created—those in the heavens and those on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 Yeye alikuwepo kabla ya vitu vyote, na katika yeye vitu vyote vinashikamana pamoja.
Yes, He is before all, and in Him all things subsist.
18 Yeye ndiye kichwa cha mwili, yaani kanisa, naye ndiye mwanzo na mzaliwa wa kwanza kutoka kwa wafu, ili yeye awe mkuu katika vitu vyote.
Also, He is the Head of the body, the Church. He is Beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that He may be preeminent in everything,
19 Kwa kuwa ilimpendeza Mungu kwamba utimilifu wake wote ukae ndani yake,
because in Him all the Fullness was pleased to dwell
20 na kwa njia yake aweze kuvipatanisha vitu vyote na yeye mwenyewe, viwe ni vitu vilivyo duniani au vilivyo mbinguni, kwa kufanya amani kwa damu yake, iliyomwagika msalabani.
and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him, whether things on the earth or things on the heavens.
21 Hapo kwanza mlikuwa mmetengana na Mungu, na mlikuwa adui zake katika nia zenu kwa sababu ya mienendo yenu mibaya.
So now He has reconciled you as well (you who once were alienated and hostile in your mind because of your wicked works),
22 Lakini sasa Mungu amewapatanisha ninyi kwa njia ya mwili wa Kristo kupitia mauti, ili awalete mbele zake mkiwa watakatifu, bila dosari wala lawama,
by His physical body through His death, so as to present you before Him holy and blameless and above reproach—
23 ikiwa mnaendelea katika imani yenu mkiwa imara na thabiti, pasipo kuliacha tumaini lililoahidiwa katika Injili. Hii ndiyo ile Injili mliyoisikia, ambayo imehubiriwa kwa kila kiumbe chini ya mbingu, na ambayo mimi Paulo nimekuwa mtumwa wake.
if, that is, you continue in the Faith established and firm, not drifting away from the hope of the Gospel, that you heard and that was proclaimed in all the creation under the heaven, of which I, Paul, became a servant.
24 Sasa nafurahia kule kuteseka kwangu kwa ajili yenu, na katika mwili wangu ninatimiliza yale yaliyopungua katika mateso ya Kristo kwa ajili ya mwili wake, ambao ni kanisa.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf and supplement in my flesh the things lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the Church,
25 Mimi nimekuwa mtumishi wa kanisa kwa wajibu alionipa Mungu ili kuwaletea ninyi Neno la Mungu kwa ukamilifu:
of which I became a servant according to the stewardship from God that was given to me towards you, to complete the Word of God,
26 Hii ni siri iliyokuwa imefichika tangu zamani na kwa vizazi vingi, lakini sasa imefunuliwa kwa watakatifu. (aiōn g165)
the secret that has been hidden from past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints; (aiōn g165)
27 Kwao, Mungu amechagua kujulisha miongoni mwa watu wa Mataifa utukufu wa utajiri wa siri hii, ambayo ni Kristo ndani yenu, tumaini la utukufu.
to whom God resolved to make known who is the wealth of the glory of this secret among the nations, namely Christ in you, the hope of glory;
28 Yeye ndiye tunayemtangaza, tukimwonya kila mtu na kumfundisha kila mtu kwa hekima yote ili tuweze kumleta kila mmoja akiwa amekamilika katika Kristo.
whom we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ.
29 Kwa ajili ya jambo hili, ninajitaabisha, nikijitahidi kwa kadiri ya nguvu zake ambazo hutenda kazi ndani yangu kwa uweza mwingi.
It is to this end that I labor, striving according to His working that works through me with power.
