Wakolosai 1
1 Paulo, mtume wa Kristo Yesu, kwa mapenzi ya Mungu, na Timotheo ndugu yetu:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy my brother, —
2 Kwa ndugu watakatifu na waaminifu katika Kristo, waishio Kolosai: Neema na amani zitokazo kwa Mungu Baba yetu ziwe nanyi.
Unto the holy and faithful brethren in Christ that are, in Colosse, favour unto you, and peace, from our God and Father.
3 Siku zote tunamshukuru Mungu, Baba wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo, tunapowaombea ninyi,
We are giving thanks unto God, the Father of our Lord Jesus [Christ], always, for you, offering prayer, —
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 of the love which ye have unto 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 lying by for you in the heavens, of which ye heard before, in the word of the truth of the glad-message,
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.
When it presented itself unto you; even as, in all the world also, it is bearing fruit and growing, even as also among you, from the day when ye heard, and came personally to know the favour of God in truth,
7 Mlijifunza habari zake kutoka kwa Epafra, mtumishi mwenzetu mpendwa, yeye aliye mhudumu mwaminifu wa Kristo kwa ajili yenu,
Even as ye learned [it] from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is faithful in our behalf, as a minister of the Christ,
8 ambaye pia ametuambia kuhusu upendo wenu katika Roho.
Who also hath made evident unto 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 cause, we also, from the day when we heard [of you], cease not, in your behalf, praying and asking—that ye may be filled unto the personal knowledge of his will, in all spiritual wisdom and discernment,
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,
So as to walk worthily of the Lord, unto all pleasing, in every good work, bearing fruit, and growing in the personal 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
With all power, being empowered, according to the grasp of his glory, unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy,
12 mkimshukuru Baba, ambaye amewastahilisha kushiriki katika urithi wa watakatifu katika ufalme wa nuru.
Giving thanks unto the Father that hath made you sufficient for your 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 hath rescued us out of the authority of the darkness, and translated [us] into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
14 ambaye katika yeye tunao ukombozi, yaani msamaha wa dhambi.
In whom, we have our redemption—the remission of our sins, —
15 Yeye ni mfano wa Mungu asiyeonekana, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa viumbe vyote.
Who, is an image of the unseen God, Firstborn of 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, in him, were created all things in the heavens and upon the earth, the things seen and the things unseen, whether thrones or lordships or principalities or authorities, —they all, through him and for him, have been created,
17 Yeye alikuwepo kabla ya vitu vyote, na katika yeye vitu vyote vinashikamana pamoja.
And, he, is before all, and, they all, in him, hold together;
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.
And, he, is the head of the body, the assembly, Who is the beginning, Firstborn from among the dead, in order that, he, might become, in all things, himself, pre-eminent; —
19 Kwa kuwa ilimpendeza Mungu kwamba utimilifu wake wote ukae ndani yake,
Because, in him, was all the fullness well 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, fully to reconcile all things unto him, making peace through the blood of his cross, —[through him]—whether the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens;
21 Hapo kwanza mlikuwa mmetengana na Mungu, na mlikuwa adui zake katika nia zenu kwa sababu ya mienendo yenu mibaya.
And, you, who at one time were estranged and enemies in your mind in your wicked works, yet, now, hath he fully reconciled,
22 Lakini sasa Mungu amewapatanisha ninyi kwa njia ya mwili wa Kristo kupitia mauti, ili awalete mbele zake mkiwa watakatifu, bila dosari wala lawama,
In his body of flesh, through means of his death, to present you holy and blameless and unaccusable before him, —
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, at least, ye are abiding still in the faith, founded and firm, and not to be moved away from the hope of the glad-message which ye have heard, which hath been proclaimed in all creation which is under heaven, —of which, I Paul, have become minister.
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, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly,
25 Mimi nimekuwa mtumishi wa kanisa kwa wajibu alionipa Mungu ili kuwaletea ninyi Neno la Mungu kwa ukamilifu:
Of which, I, have become minister—according to the administration of God which hath been given unto me to you-ward, to fill up the word of God,
26 Hii ni siri iliyokuwa imefichika tangu zamani na kwa vizazi vingi, lakini sasa imefunuliwa kwa watakatifu. (aiōn g165)
The sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages and from the generations, but, now, hath been made manifest unto 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.
Unto whom God hath been pleased to make known what is the glorious wealth of this sacred secret among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of the 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 are declaring, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, in order that we may present every man complete in Christ;
29 Kwa ajili ya jambo hili, ninajitaabisha, nikijitahidi kwa kadiri ya nguvu zake ambazo hutenda kazi ndani yangu kwa uweza mwingi.
Unto which I am even toiling, contending according to his energy which is energising itself in me with power.
