Colossians 1

1 I, Paul, [am writing this letter to you], and our fellow believer Timothy [is with me]. I am an apostle who represents Christ Jesus, because that is what God wanted.

Sel Paul, sie mwet sap lun Christ Jesus ke sripen oakwuk lun God, oayapa sel Timothy, mwet wiasr in lulalfongi —

2 [I am sending this letter] to you who are in Colossae [city], and who are God’s people, and our faithful fellow believers who have a close relationship with Christ. We pray that God our Father will be acting kindly towards you, and that he will cause you to have [inner] peace.

Nu sin mwet lun God in acn Colossae, mwet wiasr su oaru in fahsr tukun Christ: Lela tuh God Papa tumasr Elan asot kulang ac misla nu suwos.

3 Very often [HYP] we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, while we are praying for you,

Pacl nukewa kut sang kulo nu sin God, Papa tumun Leum lasr Jesus Christ, ke kut pre keiwos.

4 because we have heard that you believe in Christ Jesus, and that you love all God’s people.

Tuh kut lohng tari ke lulalfongi lowos in Christ Jesus, ac ke lungse lowos nu sin mwet lun God nukewa.

5 You do that because you confidently expect to receive that which God is (reserving/keeping safe) for you in heaven, which you heard about previously when you heard the true message, that is, the message [about Christ].

Ke kowos tufahna lohng kas pwaye ke Pweng Wo uh, kowos lohng ke finsrak se ma pweng se inge asot nu suwos. Ouinge lulalfongi ac lungse lowos uh oakwuki fin ma su kowos finsrak kac, su oan soanekowos inkusrao.

6 [People] proclaimed it [PRS] to you, just like [people] have proclaimed it in many different countries [HYP, IDM]. The true message is changing more and more people’s lives, just like it changed your lives because you heard it and you truly experienced that God acts kindly towards us in ways we do not deserve.

Pweng wo uh tiana tui in ase mwe insewowo ac el fahsrelik nu fin faclu nufon, oana ma sikyak inmasrlowos, mutawauk ke len se emeet kowos tufahna lohng ke lungkulang lun God, ac mutawauk in kalem ke pwayeiya uh.

7 That is just what Epaphras taught you [would happen]. We love Epaphras. He serves Christ together with us and works for Christ faithfully for your benefit.

Kowos tuh lohng ke lungkulang lun God uh sel Epaphras, mwet kulansap kulo wiasr, su sie mwet orekma oaru lun Christ in aol kut inmasrlowos.

8 He told us that you love [all God’s people], just like God’s Spirit [has enabled you to] (OR, spiritually).

El srumun nu sesr ke lungse su Ngun asot nu suwos.

9 Because of what we heard about you, we have also been praying [LIT] very often to God for you [HYP], ever since we heard this report about you. We pray that you will truly know all that God wants you to do; that is, that you will become very wise, and that you will understand spiritual matters well.

Ke sripa se inge, ke pacl se kut tufahna lohng keiwos nwe misenge kut pre na keiwos, ac siyuk God Elan oru tuh kowos in arulana kalem ke ma lungse lal, ke etauk ac lalmwetmet nukewa su Ngun lal uh ase.

10 We have been praying like that in order that you will conduct yourselves as the Lord’s people should conduct themselves, in order that you will please the Lord in every way. Specifically, we have been praying like that in order that you will be doing every sort of good deed [IDM] and in order that you will be getting to know God truly, more and more.

Na kowos fah ku in moul fal nu ke ma lungse lun Leum, ac oru ma su akinsewowoyal pacl nukewa. Moul lowos uh ac ku in oswe kain orekma wo nukewa, ac kowos fah kapkapak in etauk lowos ke God.

11 And we pray that [God] will greatly strengthen you [spiritually] with the mighty power that he has shown [to people], in order that you will always be steadfast and patient [when you experience difficulties], while [at the same time] you will be rejoicing.

Lela God Elan akkeye kowos ke ku wolana lal, tuh kowos fah ku in mutangla ma nukewa ke mongfisrasr, ac kowos in engan

12 And we pray that you will be thanking God our Father, because he has enabled you/us to receive the things that he will give to his people in heaven [SYN].

ac sang kulo nu sin Papa, su oru tuh kut in fal in wi ipeis ke ma su El akoela nu sin mwet lal in tokosrai lun kalem.

13 God our Father rescued us [spiritually] so that the evil one no longer rules us [MET, MTY], and he caused us now to be ruled by his Son, whom he loves.

El molikutla liki ku lun lohsr uh, ac uskutme nu in tokosrai lun Wen kulo natul.

14 That is, because of our relationship with his Son (OR, because of what the one who is also God did), God has redeemed/bought us; in particular, he has forgiven our sins.

Ke sripal kut aksukosokyeyukla, su kalmeya pa God El nunak munas nu sesr ke ma koluk lasr.

15 God’s Son reveals perfectly what God, his Father, is like, whom no one can see. God’s Son existed before and ranks above everything that God has created.

Christ el oana luman God, su kut tia ku in liye, ac el pa Wounse, su fulat liki ma orekla nukewa.

16 When God created everything that is on the earth, he did it by having his Son do it. He created everything that [people] can see, and also everything which is in heaven that [people] cannot see. In particular, his Son created all ranks of important spirit beings. [And his Son ranks above everything], because God by the work of had his Son, and because by his Son all things were created {because [God] had his Son create everything} in order that everything might praise his Son,

Tuh ke el, God El orala ma nukewa inkusrao ac fin faclu, ma liyeyuk ac ma tia ku in liyeyuk, weang pac ku lun ngun inge nukewa: leum, ac mwet kol, ac wal fulat ma oan yen engyeng uh. God El orala ma nukewa inkusrao, fin faclu, ac yen engyeng uh kacl ac nu sel.

17 and because it is his Son who existed before anything else existed, and because God sustains everything by what his Son [does].

Christ el nuna oasr meet liki orekla ma nukewa, ac ma nukewa oakwuki wo in acn se ke sripal.

18 And [God’s Son ranks above everything], because it is his Son who [rules over his people] [MET] [as a person’s] head [controls his physical] body, because his Son causes his people to live [spiritually]. [God’s Son] is the first one who became alive again, in order that he should become more important than anything and everyone.

El pa sifen church, su pa manol, ac el pa sang kuiyen moul nu ke mano. El pa Wounse, su akmoulyeyukyak liki misa, tuh in el pa oemeet in ma nukewa.

19 [God’s Son reveals perfectly what God his Father is like], because his Father chose to live completely in him.

God El sifacna sulela in akkalemye ouiyal sifacna ac ma pwaye nukewa kacl in Wen natul.

20 [God our Father caused his Son to rule us], because he decided to reconcile with himself everything that is on earth and that is in heaven by what his Son did, in order that everything might honor his Son; that is, God our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself as a result of his [Son’s] blood [flowing when he died] on the cross. [The chiastic material is rearranged below so that the directly related propositional clusters are joined together.] 13 God our Father rescued us [spiritually] so that we are no longer ruled by the evil one, and God our Father caused us now to be ruled by his Son (OR, the man who is also God) whom he loves. 14a That is, by means of what his Son did, we have been redeemed by God, our Father. 14b In particular, our sins have been forgiven by God, our Father. 20 God, our Father, has done this because he decided to reconcile to himself, by means of his Son, everything that is on earth and that is in heaven, in order that his Son might be honored; that is, God, our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself by means of God’s Son’s blood [flowing out when he died] on the cross. 15b God cannot be seen by anyone, 15a but his Son reveals perfectly what God—his Father—is like, 19a because it is in his Son that the Father chose 19b that he himself would dwell completely. 15c God’s Son ranks above everything 15d that has been created, 16 because it was by means of God’s Son that God created everything that is on the earth and that can be seen by people, and also everything that is in heaven and that cannot be seen by people. In particular, all types of important spirit beings were created by means of him, since everything has been created by God by means of God’s Son. And his Son ranks above everything, because everything has been created by God, in order that God’s Son might be honored by everything, 17 and because it is he who existed before anything else existed, and since everything is sustained by God by means of God’s Son. 18 And God’s Son ranks above everything because it is he who [rules over all believers, just like a person’s] head [controls his physical body, because he causes all believers to live spiritually]. His Son is the first one who rose from among those who have died, in order that he should become more important than everything and everyone.

Ke ma inge, God El sulela in folokoneni ma orekla nukewa nu sel sifacna ke Wen natul. God El iwekutla nu sel ke srahn Wen natul ke el misa fin sakseng, ac ouinge God El folokoneni ma nukewa nu sel sifacna, ma inkusrao lucng ac fin faclu ten.

21 As for you, [although] formerly God [considered you his] enemies (OR, [God considered you] as alienated [from him]) and [although] you were formerly hostile [to God] because you thought evil thoughts and because you did evil deeds,

Meet kowos muta loesla liki God, ac kowos mwet lokoalok lal ke sripen orekma koluk ac nunak koluk lowos.

22 nevertheless, God our Father has now reconciled you [with himself. He did that] as a result of his Son dying physically. He did it in order that you should be completely holy when he brings you into his presence.

A inge, ke sripen misa in mano lun Wen natul, God El orala kowos mwet kawuk lac lal, tuh kowos in ku in tuku nu yorol ke mutal ac nasnas ac wangin mwatuwos.

23 He wants you to continue [DOU] to believe the message about Christ; specifically, he wants you to continue to be stable/steadfast and to continue to confidently expect to receive that which you heard about when you heard that message. That message has been proclaimed {They have proclaimed that message} to people in very many places [HYP]; and I, Paul, also become someone who tells it to people.

Kowos enenu in sruokyana moul in lulalfongi lowos fin sie pwelung na ku ac pwaye, ac tia lela in mokleyukla kowos liki finsrak se kowos eis tari ke kowos lohng Wosasu. Nga, Paul, ekla sie mwet kulansap lun Wosasu se inge — Wosasu se ma fwackyuk nu sin mwet nukewa fin faclu.

24 At the present time I am rejoicing that I am suffering for your benefit; that is, I am completing what Christ [decided] that I should suffer physically for the benefit of all believers, [who are as dear to him as] his own body.

Ac inge nga engan ke moul in keok luk keiwos, tuh ke sripen keok lun monuk, nga wi kasru in aksafyela ma lula ke keok lun Christ su el keok kac ke sripen mano se inge, su pa church.

25 I myself became someone who serves God’s people, because I was appointed {[God] appointed me} to be responsible to [help] you [who are non-Jews]. I became one who serves God’s people in order that I should make known to you non-Jews the whole message from/about God.

God El kuneyuwi tuh nga in sie mwet kulansap lun church. El ase kunokon se inge nu sik nga in oru in kasrekowos. Kunokon se inge pa in fahkak nufon ke kas lal,

26 [We did not know this message previously; that is, God] concealed it from [the people who lived in all] the previous ages, but he has now revealed it to his people. (aiōn g165)

su oana sie ma saok ma God El okanla liki fwil puspis somla, a inge El akkalemyela nu sin mwet lal. (aiōn g165)

27 That is, God decided to reveal to them this message, which declares that he will greatly bless the non-Jews. Specifically, this message declares that Christ, [by his Spirit], will live in you who are non-Jews, with the result that you confidently expect that you will experience how glorious [God is].

God El kena tuh mwet lal in etu ma su El tia akkalemye meet — ma su arulana saok ac wolana, su El akoo nu sin mwet nukewa. Ac pa inge ma wolana se ma tia eteyuk meet: Christ el oasr in kowos, ac kowos in arulana etu lah kowos ac wi ipeis ke wolana lun God.

28 We tell about Christ [to every class of persons]; we warn them, and specifically, we teach everyone very wisely. We do this in order that every person who (has a close relationship with/is united to) Christ may be (all that God wants them to be/perfect) when we present them to Christ.

Ouinge kut fahkak Christ nu sin mwet nukewa. In etauk nukewa su oasr yorosr, kut srike in sensenkakin ac luti nu selos tuh kut fah ku in pwanma kais sie selos nu ye mutun God, oana sie mwet matula in nunak ac ma sefanna yurin Christ.

29 In order that I might [achieve/accomplish this], I am also working very hard, depending on Christ to empowering me very greatly.

Nga orekma upa in ku in orala ma se inge, ac kwafeang in oru ma kunuk ke nga orekmakin ku lulap su Christ el ase nu sik, su orekma in nga.