Colossians 4:13

4:13 For I can testify that he has worked hard ¹  for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Colossians 4:16

4:16 And after ²  you have read this letter, have it read ³  to the church of Laodicea. In turn, read the letter from Laodicea ⁴  as well.

¹ tn Grk “pain.” This word appears only three times in the NT outside of this verse (Rev 16:10, 11; 21:4) where the translation “pain” makes sense. For the present verse it has been translated “worked hard.” See BDAG 852 s.v. πόνος 1.

² tn Grk “when.”

³ tn The construction beginning with the imperative ποιήσατε ἵνα…ἀναγνωσθῇ (poihsate Jina…anagnwsqh) should be translated as “have it read” where the conjunction ἵνα functions to mark off its clause as the direct object of the imperative ποιήσατε. The content of the clause (“reading the letter”) is what Paul commands with the imperative ποιήσατε. Thus the translation “have it read” has been used here.

⁴ sn This letter is otherwise unknown, but some have suggested that it is the letter known today as Ephesians.