1 UPawulos, umpostile kaYesu Kristu ngokuthanda kukaThixo, noTimoti umzalwana,
2 ubhalela abaseKolose, abazalwana abangcwele abakholwayo kuKristu; uthi, Makube lubabalo kuni, noxolo oluvela kuThixo uBawo wethu, neNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.
3 Sihlala sibulela kuye uThixo, uYise weNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu, xa sinithandazelayo,
4 sivile nje ngokukholwa kwenu kuKristu Yesu, nokubathanda kwenu bonke abangcwele,
5 ngenxa yethemba eli nalibekelwayo emazulwini; nalivayo ngenxa engaphambili ngalo ilizwi lenyaniso leendaba ezi zilungileyo;
6 zikhoyo kuni, njengoko zikhoyo nakulo lonke ihlabathi, zixakatha neziqhamo, kwanjengoko zixakathayo ngaphakathi kwenu, kususela kwimini enaluvayo, nalwazi, ubabalo lukaThixo ngenya, niso.
7 njengoko nafundayo nokufunda kuEpafra, ongumkhonzi oyintanda kunye nathi, engumlungiseleli othembekileyo kaKristu ngenxa yenu;
8 owasazisayo nokusazisa uthando lwenu lwaseMoyeni.
9 Ngenxa yoku, kususela kwimini esevayo, nathi asiphezi ukunithandazela nokunicelela, ukuze nizaliswe kukukwazi kakuhle ukuthanda kwakhe, ninokulumka nokuqonda konke okukokomoya;
10 ukuze nihambe ngokuyifaneleyo iNkosi, nise kuko konke ukukholisa, nixakathe isiqhamo kuwo wonke umsebenzi olungileyo, nikhulela ekumazini uThixo;
11 nisomelezwa ngokomelela konke, ngokokuqina kozuko lwakhe, nide nise kuko konke ukunyamezela, nokuzeka kade umsindo, kunye novuyo;
12 nibulela kuye uYise, owasenza sakulingana ukwahlulelwa ilifa labangcwele ekukhanyeni;
13 owasihlangulayo egunyeni lobumnyama, wasifudusela ebukumkanini boNyana wothando lwakhe,
14 esinayo kuye inkululeko ngokuhlawulelwa ngegazi lakhe, ukuxolelwa kwezono ke oko.
15 Ungumfanekiselo kaThixo ongenakubonwa, owamazibulo kwindalo yonke.
16 Ngokuba zadalelwa kuye zonke izinto, ezisemazulwini nezisemhlabeni, ezinokubonwa nezingenakubonwa, nokuba ziitrone, nokuba zibubukhosi, nokuba zizilawuli, nokuba ngamagunya; zonke izinto zidalwe nguye, zidalelwe yena.
17 Yena ke ungaphambi kweento zonke, nazo zonke izinto zima zimi kuye.
18 Yena ke uyintloko yomzimba, yebandla; oyingqalo, owamazibulo ukuvuka kwabafileyo, ukuze yena abe ngomkhulu ezintweni zonke.
19 Ngokuba kwakholeka ukuthi ukuzaliseka konke kuhlale kuye,
20 nokuthi ngaye azixolelanise naye zonke izinto, elwenzile uxolo ngalo igazi lomnqamlezo wakhe; ewe, ngaye, nokuba zizinto ezisemhlabeni, nokuba zezisemazulwini.
21 Nani, enibe nifudula ningazani noThixo, niziintshaba ngengqondo yenu emisebenzini yenu engendawo, kukalokunje unixolelanisile ngako ukufa emzimbeni wenyama yakhe,
22 ukuze animise ningcwele, ningenakubekwa bala, ningenakumangalelwa phambi kwakhe;
23 ukuba kaloku nihlala nihleli elukholweni, nisekelwe niqinile, ningashukunyiswa nimke ethembeni leendaba ezilungileyo ezi nazivayo, zona zashunyayelwayo kwindalo yonke ephantsi kwezulu; endaba ngumlungiseleli wazo, mna Pawulos.
24 Ngoku ndiyavuya ezintlungwini zam ngenxa yenu, ndikuzalisa kanye okusileleyo kwiimbandezelo zikaKristu, enyameni yam, ngenxa yomzimba wakhe olilo ibandla;
25 endaba ngumlungiseleli walo mna ngokokugosisa kukaThixo, awandigosisa ngako kuni, ukuba ndilizalise ilizwi likaThixo,
26 kwaimfihlelo, leyo ke ibifihliwe kwasemaphakadeni nasezizukulwaneni; kukalokunje ibonakalalisiweyo kubo abangcwele bakhe,
27 awathandayo uThixo ukubazisa bona into obuyiyo ubutyebi bozuko lwaloo mfihlelo phakathi kwazo iintlanga, obunguKristu phakathi kwenu, ithemba lozuko.
28 Sazisa yena ke thina, siluleka wonke umntu, sifundisa wonke umntu ngabo bonke ubulumko, ukuze simise wonke umntu egqibelele ekuKristu Yesu;
29 endibulalekela kona oko, ndizama ngokokusebenza kwakhe okusebenzayo kum ngamandla.