1 UPhawuli, umpostoli kaKhristu uJesu ngentando kaNkulunkulu, loThimothi umzalwane wethu,

2 Lakubazalwane abangcwele labathembekileyo kuKhristu abaseKholose:

Umusa lokuthula kakube kini kuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu.

3 Sihlezi simbonga kokuphela uNkulunkulu, uBaba weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, nxa silikhulekela, 4 ngoba sizwile ngokukholwa kwenu kuKhristu uJesu langothando elithanda ngalo abangcwele bonke. 5 Ukukholwa lothando okuvela ethembeni eligcinelwe lina ezulwini, eselezwa ngalo elizwini leqiniso, elilivangeli 6 eselifikile kini. Emhlabeni wonke ivangeli leli lithela izithelo njalo liyakhula njengebelikwenza phakathi kwenu kusukela ngelanga elalizwa ngalo lawuqedisisa umusa kaNkulunkulu ngawo wonke amaqiniso alo. 7 Lalifundiswa ngu-Ephafrasi oyinceku ethandekayo, ongumfundisi othembekileyo kaKhristu emele thina, 8 owasitshela ngothando lwenu kuMoya.

9 Ngenxa yalokhu, kusukela mhla sisizwa ngani kasizange siyekele ukulikhulekela sicela uNkulunkulu ukuthi aligcwalise ngokwazi intando yakhe ngakho konke ukuhlakanipha koMoya kanye lokuqedisisa. 10 Sikhulekela ukuba liphile impilo efanele iNkosi lokuba liyithokozise ngezindlela zonke, lithele izithelo kuyo yonke imisebenzi emihle, ukwazi kwenu uNkulunkulu kukhule, 11 liqiniswa ngamandla wonke mayelana lamandla akhe amangalisayo ukuze libe lokubekezela kanye lesineke esikhulu, kuthi njalo ngokuthokoza 12 limbonge ngentokozo uYise owalenza lafanela ukuhlanganyela elifeni labangcwele bakhe embusweni wokukhanya. 13 Ngoba wasihlenga embusweni wobumnyama wasiletha embusweni weNdodana yakhe ayithandayo, 14 okukuyo ukuhlengwa kwethu lokuthethelelwa kwezono.

15 Indodana ingumfanekiso kaNkulunkulu ongabonakaliyo, izibulo kukho konke okwadalwayo. 16 Ngoba izinto zonke zadalwa ngayo: izinto ezisezulwini lezisemhlabeni, ezibonakalayo lezingabonakaliyo loba kuyizihlalo zobukhosi kumbe amandla loba ababusi kumbe abaphathi; izinto zonke zadalwa ngayo zidalelwa yona. 17 Yona iphambi kwezinto zonke njalo kuyo izinto zonke zibambene. 18 Iyinhloko yomzimba okulibandla; iyikuqala lezibulo elivela kwabafileyo ukuze yona ibe ngeyokuqala ezintweni zonke. 19 Ngoba uNkulunkulu wathokoza ukuba ukuphelela kwakhe kube kuyo 20 lokuthi ngayo abuyisane lezinto zonke, loba kuyizinto ezisemhlabeni kumbe izinto ezisezulwini ngokwenza ukuthula ngegazi layo elachithwa esiphambanweni.

21 Lina lake laba ngabehlukane loNkulunkulu, liyizitha ezingqondweni zenu ngenxa yokuziphatha kwenu okubi. 22 Kodwa khathesi uselibuyisile ngomzimba kaKhristu uqobo lwawo ngokufa ukuze alethule lingcwele ebusweni bakhe, lingelasici njalo limsulwa. 23 Nxa liqhubeka ngokukholwa kwenu ligxile njalo liqinile, lingasuki ethembeni eliliphiwa ngevangeli. Leli yilo ivangeli elalizwayo eselitshunyayelwe kuzozonke izidalwa ngaphansi kwezulu, mina Phawuli esengibe yinceku yalo.

24 Khathesi ngiyathokoza ngokulihluphekela kwami njalo ngiyagcwalisa emzimbeni okulokhu kusasilela mayelana lezinhlupheko zikaKhristu ngenxa yomzimba wakhe olibandla. 25 Sengaba yinceku yalo ngomsebenzi uNkulunkulu anginika wona ukuba ngililethele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu liphelele, 26 ebeliyimfihlakalo ebifihlakele okweminyakanyaka kanye lezizukulwane ezedluleyo kodwa khathesi isibekwe obala kwabangcwele beNkosi. 27 UNkulunkulu wathanda ukubazisa phakathi kwabeZizweni inotho emangalisayo yemfihlakalo le, enguKhristu phakathi kwenu, ithemba lenkazimulo.

28 Sitshumayela yena, seluleke njalo sifundise abantu bonke ngenhlakanipho yonke ukuze bonke sibalethe kuKhristu bephelele. 29 Ngisebenza nzima ukuba lokhu kufezeke, ngilwisa ngawo wonke amandla uKhristu asebenza ngawo phakathi kwami.