< Kolosserbrevet 2 >

1 Så vill jag att I veta skolen, hvilken kamp jag hafver om eder, och om dem som äro i Laodicea, och om alla dem som min person i köttet icke sett hafva;
In particular, I want you to realize that I am (exerting myself very greatly/working very hard) on your behalf, on behalf of those who are in Laodicea [city], and on behalf of all those others who have not seen me personally.
2 På det deras hjerta måga få någon hugnad, och sammanfogade varda i kärlekenom, till all rikedom uti fullkomligit förstånd, till att kunna besinna Guds hemlighet, både Fadrens och Christi;
I am doing this in order that they and you [SYN] might be strengthened [spiritually] as you are united in loving [one another]. And I am doing this in order that they and you might fully and thoroughly [DOU] understand the message that God has now revealed; that is, in order that they and you might truly know the message from God our Father and about Christ,
3 Uti hvilkom fördolda ligga alla visdoms och förstånds håfvor.
who alone is able to cause them and you to understand thoroughly [DOU] [this very important message].
4 Men detta säger jag, på det ingen skall bedraga eder med klok ord.
I am telling you this in order that no one may deceive you by persuasive arguments;
5 Ty ändock jag är ifrån eder efter köttet, är jag dock när eder i Andanom, fröjdar mig, och ser edor skickelse, och edar tros stadighet på Christum.
because, even though I am absent from you physically, I am very concerned about you. At the same time, I am rejoicing because I know that you are united [with each other] and that you believe firmly in Christ.
6 Såsom I nu anammat hafven Herran Christum Jesum, så vandrer i honom;
In a way that is (consistent/in harmony) with [the message that] you received about Christ Jesus, who is our Lord, conduct yourselves as you should, since you have a close relationship with him.
7 Och varer rotade och uppbyggde i honom, och varer faste i trone, såsom I lärde ären, och varer i henne rikeliga tacksamme.
Specifically, continue believing and practicing [MET, DOU] what you were first taught about Christ. Continue to do this more and more; continue to fIrmly believe all the true teaching, just like [Epaphras] taught it to you. And continue thanking [God, our Father], very much [for all that he has done for you].
8 Ser till, att eder icke någor bortröfvar med Philosophia och fåfängt bedrägeri, efter menniskors stadgar, och efter verldenes stadgar, och icke efter Christum;
Make sure that no one forces you [(pl)] to become his disciples [MET] by his teaching you a religious philosophy/doctrine that is worthless and false. Such a philosophy is false because it teaches what mere human beings think, because it teaches people elementary regulations/rules [that are concerned merely with what is external/physical], and because it teaches what is contrary to [the true teaching about] Christ.
9 Ty i honom bor all Gudomsens fullhet lekamliga.
It is in Christ’s body that God lives completely.
10 Och I ären i honom fullkomne, hvilken är hufvudet öfver all Förstadöme och väldighet;
And you are spiritually complete because you have a close relationship with Christ, who rules over every other ruler.
11 I hvilkom I ock omskorne ären med den omskärelse, som sker utan händer, då I afladen syndakroppen i köttet, nämliga med Christi omskärelse;
Specifically, because of your close relationship with Christ, it is as though [MET] you were circumcised {Christ circumcised you} [spiritually]. This does not mean that someone circumcised you physically [MTY], but it means that Christ completely removed your self-directed nature.
12 I det, att I med honom begrafne ären genom dopet; i hvilkom I ock uppståndne ären genom trona, den Gud verkar, hvilken honom uppväckt hafver ifrå de döda.
And specifically, when you were baptized, [it was as though] [MET] you [had died and] were buried with Christ, and [it was as though] [MET] God caused you to live again with Christ as a result of your believing that God acted powerfully; specifically, by your believing that God caused Christ to become alive again.
13 Han hafver ock gjort eder lefvande med honom, då I döde voren i synderna, och uti edars kötts förhud; och hafver förlåtit oss alla synder;
And specifically, you [who are non-Jews], because of your sins, you were [spiritually] dead [before you trusted in Christ]. You were uncircumcised [spiritually]; that is, your self-directed nature controlled you. Nevertheless, it was you whom God caused to become alive [spiritually because of their close relationship] [MET] with Christ. And specifically, God forgave us all our sins.
14 Och afplånat den handskrift, som oss emot var; hvilken af stadgarna kom, och var oss emot; och den hafver han tagit oss af vägen, och naglat vid korset;
[It is just] as [though] he canceled ([the charges] against us/the sins [that we had committed]) for which [God] will punish us. And [it was just] as [though] [MET] it was [the charges on] that document/paper that he canceled by nailing them to the cross [when they nailed Christ on the cross].
15 Och hafver blottat Förstadömen, och väldigheterna, och fört dem uppenbarliga, och gjort en härlig seger af dem, genom sig sjelf.
And specifically, God defeated the [evil] spirit beings that rule, and he demonstrated/showed that publicly; that is, he triumphed over them as a result of what [Christ did].
16 Så låter nu ingen göra eder samvet öfver mat, eller dryck, eller öfver bestämda helgedagar, eller nymånader, eller Sabbather;
So disregard anyone who says that God will punish you because you eat [certain foods] and because you drink [certain drinks] or because [you do not celebrate] special [yearly] festivals or celebrate the time when the new moon [appears] or weekly (Sabbaths/Jewish days of rest).
17 Hvilket är skuggen af det som tillkommande var; men kroppen sjelf är i Christo.
[Disregard such people] because those [regulations/rules about food and drink and festivals] are [only] like a shadow [MET] [that is cast by something that is approaching; that is, they merely represent] the real spiritual blessings that Christ [has given to you].
18 Låter ingen taga eder lönen ifrå, den som vandrar efter egen godtycko i Änglaödmjukhet och andelighet, i de ting han aldrig sett hafver, och är förgäfves uppblåst i sitt köttsliga sinne;
Disregard those who say that God will punish you because [you do not worship God in the way that] they say [that you should]; that is, they insist that you should humiliate yourselves and that you should worship the angels. [Disregard such people] since they base their authority on things that they have never seen, and since they are proud without reason because their self-directed nature [controls] what they think,
19 Och håller sig icke vid hufvudet, af hvilko hele lekamenen genom leder och ledamot kraft får och tillsammans hänger, och tillväxer i den förökelse som Gud gifver.
and since they do not teach the true teaching about Christ [MET]. [Christ is the one who causes all of his people to develop/grow spiritually as God plans that they should develop/grow, just like] [MET] a person’s head directs how his body grows, as it is held together by its joints and ligaments.
20 Efter I nu döde ären med Christo, ifrå de verldsliga stadgar; hvi låten I eder då begripas med beskrefna stadgar, lika som I ännu lefden i verldene?
[It is as though] [MET] you died with Christ. So [you no longer have to obey] elementary regulations/rules [that are concerned merely with what is external/physical, just like a dead person no longer has to do anything]. So, do not submit to regulations/rules
21 De der säga: Du skall icke komma vid det; icke smaka det; icke handtera det;
such as ‘Do not handle [certain things]’, ‘Do not taste [certain things]’, ‘Do not touch [certain things]’, as if you still had to obey such regulations/rules.
22 Hvilket dock allt förgås i brukningene, och är efter menniskors bud och lärdom;
All those things are intended to cease to exist when we use them. [And do not obey such regulations/rules], because they are what mere human teachers command and teach.
23 Hvilke hafva väl ett sken af visdom, genom sjelftagen andelighet och ödmjukhet, och derigenom att de icke skona kroppen, och göra icke köttena dess äro till dess nödtorft.
[Do not obey such] regulations/rules; they only cause people to do what their self-directed nature wants to do. [Those regulations] seem to be wise because they [urge people to] worship as mere human teachers have decided. [They urge] that [people] should humiliate themselves, and that [people] should treat their bodies harshly. But those regulations/rules do not help [people] at all to not do the sinful things that their self-directed nature wants to do.

< Kolosserbrevet 2 >