²Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving, ³praying at the same time for us also, that God may open for us a door of the message, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which also I am a prisoner^a, ⁴so that I may reveal^b it, as it is necessary for me to speak. ⁵Live with wisdom toward those outside, making the most of the time. ⁶Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how it is necessary for you to answer each one.

Exhortations Regarding Fellow Workers

⁷Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you all my circumstances^c, ⁸whom I have sent to you for this very reason, in order that you may know our circumstances^d and he may encourage your hearts, ⁹together with Onesimus, my faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all the circumstances^e here.

¹⁰Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions—if he should come to you, welcome him), ¹¹and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only ones who are fellow workers for the kingdom of God from the circumcision, who have been a comfort to me. ¹²Epaphras, who is one of you, greets you, a slave of Christ^f always struggling on behalf of you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured^g in all the will of God. ¹³For I testify to him that he is working hard^h on behalf of you and those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis. ¹⁴Luke the physician, our dear friend, greets you, as does Demas. ¹⁵Greet the brothers in Laodicea, and Nympha and the church in herⁱ house. ¹⁶And whenever this letter is read among you, see to it^j that it is read also among the Laodicean church, and that you also read the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷And tell Archippus, “Direct your attention to the ministry that you received in the Lord, in order that you may complete it.”

Final Greeting and Benediction

¹⁸The greeting is by my hand, Paul’s. Remember my imprisonment^k. Grace be with you.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

aLiterally “I have been bound”
bOr “may make it clear”
cLiterally “the things according to me”
dLiterally “the things concerning us”
eLiterally “the things”
fSome manuscripts have “of Christ Jesus”
gOr “and filled”
hLiterally “he has much labor”
iSome manuscripts, including the majority of Byzantine minuscules, read the masculine form of the pronoun here (“his”), understanding the form of the name “Nympha” earlier in the verse to be masculine
jLiterally “cause”
kLiterally “bonds”