Letter to the Colossians, 4

¹ YOU masters, keep dealing out what is righteous and what is fair to [your] slaves, knowing that YOU also have a Master in heaven.

² Be persevering in prayer, remaining awake in it with thanksgiving,

³ at the same time praying also for us, that God may open a door of utterance to us, to speak the sacred secret about the Christ, for which, in fact, I am in prison bonds;

⁴ so that I shall make it manifest as I ought to speak.

⁵ Go on walking in wisdom toward those on the outside, buying out the opportune time for yourselves.

⁶ Let YOUR utterance be always with graciousness,^*1 seasoned with salt, so as to know how YOU ought to give an answer to each one.

⁷ All my affairs Tychʹi·cus, [my] beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow slave in [the] Lord, will make known to YOU.

⁸ For the very purpose of YOUR knowing the things having to do with us and that he may comfort YOUR hearts, I am sending him to YOU

⁹ along with O·nesʹi·mus, my faithful and beloved brother, who is from among YOU. All the things here they will make known to YOU.

¹⁰ Ar·is·tarʹchus my fellow captive sends YOU his greetings, and so does Mark the cousin of Barʹna·bas, (concerning whom YOU received commands to welcome him if ever he comes to YOU,)

¹¹ and Jesus who is called Justus, these being of those circumcised.^*1 Only these are my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and these very ones have become a strengthening aid to me.

¹² Epʹa·phras, who is from among YOU, a slave of Christ Jesus, sends YOU his greetings, always exerting himself in YOUR behalf in [his] prayers, that YOU may finally stand complete and with firm conviction in all the will of God.

¹³ I indeed bear him witness that he puts himself to great effort in behalf of YOU and of those at La·o·di·ceʹa and of those at Hi·e·rapʹo·lis.

¹⁴ Luke the beloved physician^*1 sends YOU his greetings, and so does Deʹmas.

¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers at La·o·di·ceʹa and to Nymʹpha and to the congregation at her house.

¹⁶ And when this letter has been read among YOU, arrange that it also be read in the congregation of the La·o·di·ceʹans and that YOU also read the one from La·o·di·ceʹa.

¹⁷ Also, tell Ar·chipʹpus: “Keep watching the ministry which you accepted in [the] Lord, that you fulfill it.”

¹⁸ [Here is] my greeting, Paul’s, in my own hand. Continue bearing my [prison] bonds in mind. The undeserved kindness be with YOU.