Colossians 2
1 I want you to know in how great a struggle I am engaged for you and for Christ’s people at Laodicea, and for all who have not yet seen me;
Napenda mjue jinsi ninavyofanya kazi kwa bidii kwa ajili yenu, kwa ajili ya watu wa Laodikea na kwa ajili ya wote ambao hawajapata kuniona kwa macho.
2 in the hope that they, being bound to one another by love, and keeping in view the full blessedness of a firm conviction, may be encouraged to strive for a perfect knowledge of God’s hidden truth,
Nafanya hivi kusudi mioyo yao ifarijiwe na kuvutwa pamoja katika upendo, ili wajazwe uthabiti mwingi uletwao na elimu ya kweli. Hapo wataijua siri ya Mungu ambayo ni Kristo mwenyewe.
3 even Christ himself, in whom all treasures of wisdom and knowledge lie hidden.
Ndani yake zimefichika hazina zote za hekima na elimu.
4 I say this to prevent anyone from deceiving you by plausible arguments.
Basi, nawaambieni, msikubali kudanganywa na mtu yeyote kwa maneno ya uongo hata kama ni ya kuvutia sana.
5 It is true that I am not with you in person, but I am with you in spirit, and am glad to see the good order and the unbroken front resulting from your faith in Christ.
Maana, ingawa mimi niko mbali nanyi kwa mwili, lakini niko pamoja nanyi kwa roho, na ninafurahi kuona uthabiti kamili mnaosimama nao pamoja katika imani yenu kwa Kristo.
6 Since, therefore, you have received Jesus, the Christ, as your Lord, live your lives in union with him –
Maadamu ninyi mmemkubali Kristo Yesu kuwa Bwana, basi, ishini katika muungano naye.
7 rooted in him, building up your characters through union with him, growing stronger through your faith, as you were taught, overflowing with faith and thanksgiving.
Mnapaswa kuwa na mizizi ndani yake, kujijenga juu yake na kuwa imara katika imani yenu kama mlivyofundishwa. Muwe na shukrani tele.
8 Take care that there is not someone who will carry you away by his “philosophy” – a hollow sham! – following, as it does, mere human traditions, and dealing with puerile questions of this world, and not with Christ.
Angalieni basi, mtu asiwapotoshe kwa udanganyifu mtupu wa hekima ya kibinadamu, ambayo chanzo chake ni mafundisho ya mapokeo ya watu na ya pepo watawala, na wala si Kristo mwenyewe!
9 For in Christ the Godhead in all its fulness dwells incarnate;
Maana, ndani yake Kristo katika ubinadamu wake, umo ukamilifu wote wa Mungu,
10 and, by your union with him, you also are filled with it. He is the head of all archangels and powers of heaven.
nanyi mmepewa uzima kamili katika kuungana naye. Yeye yuko juu ya pepo watawala wote na wakuu wote.
11 By your union with him you received a circumcision that was not performed by human hands, when you threw off the tyranny of the earthly body, and received the circumcision of the Christ.
Katika kuungana na Kristo ninyi mlitahiriwa, lakini si kwa tohara ifanywayo na watu, bali inayofanywa na Kristo mwenyewe, na ambayo inahusikana na kukombolewa kutoka katika utu wa dhambi.
12 For in baptism you were buried with Christ; and in baptism you were also raised to life with him, through your faith in the omnipotence of God, who raised him from the dead.
Maana, mlipobatizwa mlizikwa pamoja na Kristo, na katika ubatizo, mlifufuliwa pia pamoja naye kwa imani yenu katika nguvu ya Mungu ambaye alimfufua Kristo kutoka wafu.
13 And to you, who once were dead, by reason of your sins and your uncircumcised nature – to you God gave life in giving life to Christ! He pardoned all our sins!
Wakati mmoja nanyi mlikuwa mmekufa kwa sababu ya makosa yenu na kwa sababu ninyi mlikuwa watu wa mataifa mengine. Lakini Mungu amewapa ninyi uzima pamoja na Kristo. Mungu ametusamehe dhambi zetu zote;
14 He canceled the bond which stood against us – the bond that consisted of ordinances – and which was directly hostile to us! He has taken it out of our way by nailing it to the cross!
alifutilia mbali ile hati ya deni iliyokuwa inatukabili na masharti yake, na kuifuta kabisa kwa kuipigilia msalabani.
15 He rid himself of all the powers of evil, and held them up to open contempt, when he celebrated his triumph over them on the cross!
Juu ya msalaba Kristo aliwapokonya nguvu zao hao pepo watawala na wakuu; aliwafanya kuwa kitu cha fedheha hadharani kwa kuwaburuta kama mateka katika msafara wa ushindi wake.
16 Do not, then, allow anyone to take you to task on questions of eating or drinking, or in the matter of annual or monthly or weekly festivals.
Kwa hiyo, basi, msikubali kupewa masharti na mtu yeyote kuhusu vyakula au vinywaji, siku za sherehe, sikukuu ya Mwezi mpya au Sabato.
17 These things are only the shadow of what is to come; the substance is in the Christ.
Mambo ya aina hiyo ni kivuli tu cha yale yatakayokuja; ukweli wenyewe ndiye Kristo.
18 Do not let anyone defraud you of the reality by affecting delight in so-called “humility” and angel-worship. Such a person busies themselves with their visions, and without reason are rendered conceited by their merely human intellect.
Msikubali kuhukumiwa na mtu yeyote anayejitakia kuwa wa maana kwa sababu ya maono ya pekee na ambaye anasisitiza juu ya unyenyekevu wa uongo na ibada kwa malaika. Mtu wa namna hiyo amepumbazika kwa fikira danganifu za kidunia
19 They fail to maintain union with the head, to whom it is due that the whole body, nourished and knit together by the contact and connexion of every part, grows with a divine growth.
na amejitenga na Kristo aliye kichwa cha huo mwili. Chini ya uongozi wa Kristo, mwili wote unalishwa na kuunganishwa pamoja kwa viungo na mishipa yake, nao hukua kama atakavyo Mungu.
20 Since, with Christ, you became dead to the puerile teaching of this world, why do you submit, as if you still belonged to the world,
Ninyi mmekufa pamoja na Kristo na kukombolewa kutoka nguvu za pepo watawala wa ulimwengu. Kwa nini, basi, kuishi tena kama vile mngekuwa wa ulimwengu huu? Ya nini kuwekewa masharti:
21 to such ordinances as “Do not handle, or taste, or touch”?
“Msishike hiki,” “Msionje kile,” “Msiguse kile!”
22 For all the things referred to in them cease to exist when used. You are following mere human directions and instructions.
Mambo hayo yote yanahusika na vitu vyenye kuharibika mara tu vinapotumiwa; hayo ni maagizo na mafundisho ya kibinadamu tu.
23 Such prohibitions appear reasonable where there is a desire for self-imposed service, and so-called “humility,” and harsh treatment of the body, but are of no real value against the indulgence of our earthly nature.
Kweli, masharti hayo yaonekana kuwa ya hekima katika namna ya ibada ya kujitakia wenyewe, unyenyekevu wa uongo na kuutendea mwili kwa ukali; lakini kwa kweli, haifai chochote kuzuia tamaa za mwili.
