# Colossians 4.1 **Book:** [Colossians](/codex/colossians/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > **1. Masters, render unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.** > > 2. Continue stedfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving; 3. withal praying for us also, that God may open unto us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds; (Colossians 4:1-3, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > **1. Masters, give to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.** > > 2. Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving; 3. praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds; (Colossians 4:1-3, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > **1. Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.** > > 2. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; 3. Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: (Colossians 4:1-3, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > **1. The masters! that which is righteous and equal to the servants give ye, having known that ye also have a Master in the heavens.** > > 2. In the prayer continue ye, watching in it in thanksgiving; 3. praying at the same time also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the secret of the Christ, because of which also I have been bound, (Colossians 4:1-3, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** Paul the Apostle (imprisonment) + Timothy - **Audience:** Christian believers in Colossae (Asia Minor) - **Location:** composed during Roman imprisonment - **Time period:** composed c. AD 60-62 ## Theological reading ## Key words - [G1342 - dikaios](/codex/g1342-dikaios/), *dikaios* (Strong's G1342). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 9.13](/codex/matthew-9-13/), [Matthew 23](/codex/matthew-23/). - [G1401 - doulos](/codex/g1401-doulos/), *doulos* (Strong's G1401). Also appears in: [Matthew 8.5-12](/codex/matthew-8-5-12/), [Matthew 18.23-35](/codex/matthew-18-23-35/), [Matthew 20.25-28](/codex/matthew-20-25-28/). - [G2962 - kyrios](/codex/g2962-kyrios/), *kyrios* (Strong's G2962). Also appears in: [Matthew 1.20](/codex/matthew-1-20/), [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 6.24](/codex/matthew-6-24/). ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses. ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Israelite Slavery Possession-vs-Ownership Defeater](/codex/israelite-slavery-possession-vs-ownership-defeater/) **Lexicon:** - [G5219 - hypakouo](/codex/g5219-hypakouo/) **Passages:** - [Philemon 16](/codex/philemon-16/)