Colossians 4:6
New International Version
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

New Living Translation
Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

English Standard Version
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Berean Standard Bible
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Berean Literal Bible
Let your speech be always in grace, having been seasoned with salt, to know how it behooves you to answer each one.

King James Bible
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

New King James Version
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

New American Standard Bible
Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

NASB 1995
Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

NASB 1977
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.

Legacy Standard Bible
Let your words always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should answer each person.

Amplified Bible
Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you].

Christian Standard Bible
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

American Standard Version
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And your words should always be with grace, as if seasoned with salt, and be aware how it is appropriate for you to answer each man.

Contemporary English Version
Be pleasant and hold their interest when you speak the message. Choose your words carefully and be ready to give answers to anyone who asks questions.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let your speech be always in grace seasoned with salt: that you may know how you ought to answer every man.

English Revised Version
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Everything you say should be kind and well thought out so that you know how to answer everyone.

Good News Translation
Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.

International Standard Version
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

Literal Standard Version
your word always being seasoned with salt in grace—to know how it is necessary for you to answer each one.

Majority Standard Bible
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

New American Bible
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you should respond to each one.

NET Bible
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.

New Revised Standard Version
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

New Heart English Bible
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Weymouth New Testament
Let your language be always seasoned with the salt of grace, so that you may know how to give every man a fitting answer.

World English Bible
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Young's Literal Translation
your word always in grace -- with salt being seasoned -- to know how it behoveth you to answer each one.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Fellow Workers
5Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 7Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 43:24
You must present them before the LORD; the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the LORD.

Matthew 12:35
The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.

Mark 9:50
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,


Treasury of Scripture

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.

your.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 6:6,7
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: …

Deuteronomy 11:19
And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

seasoned.

Leviticus 2:13
And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

2 Kings 2:20-22
And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him…

Matthew 5:13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

how.

Proverbs 26:4,5
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him…

Luke 20:20-40
And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor…

1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

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Colossians 4
1. He exhorts them to be fervent in prayer;
5. to walk wisely toward those who are not yet come to the true knowledge of Christ.
10. He salutes them, and wishes them all prosperity.














(6) Seasoned with salt.--It seems impossible not to trace here a reference to our Lord's words in Mark 9:50, "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves." There the salt is spoken of as the preservative from corruption, and the warning against "corrupt" words in Ephesians 4:29 has been thought to point in the same direction. But the context appears certainly to suggest that the use of the salt is to teach "how to answer every man," and that this answer (like the "reason," or defence, of 1Peter 3:15) is to be given to "those without." Probably, therefore, the "seasoning with salt" is to provide against insipidity (thus according to some extent with the classic usage of the word). Their speech is to be primarily "with grace," kindled by the true life of Christian grace in it; secondarily, however, it is to have good sense and point, so as to be effective for the inquirer or against the scoffer.

Verse 6. - (Let) your speech (literally, word) (be) always with grace, seasoned with salt (Ephesians 4:29, 31; Ephesians 5:3, 4; Titus 2:8; Matthew 12:34-37; Luke 4:22; Psalm 45:2). "Word" (λόγος) has its common acceptation, as in Colossians 3:17; Colossians 2:23; Titus 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:17; James 3:2. "With grace" (ἐν χάριτι) gives the pervading element of Christian speech; as "in wisdom," of Christian behaviour (ver. 5). "Grace," here without the article, is not, as in Colossians 3:16, where the article should probably be read, "the (Divine) grace," but a property of speech itself, "gracefulness" the kindly, winning pleasantness which makes the talk of a good and thoughtful man attractive: comp. Psalm 45:2 (44:3, LXX); Ecclesiastes 10:12 (LXX); Sir. 21:16. "Salt" is the "wholesome point and pertinency" (Ellicott) seasoning conversation, while grace sweetens it. The clause which follows indicates that "salt" denotes here, as commonly in Greek (instance the phrase, "Attic salt"), an intellectual rather than a moral quality of speech. In Ephesians 4:29 the connection is different, and the application more general (comp. Matthew 5:13; Mark 9:49, 50). That you may know how you ought to answer each one (ver. 4; 1 Peter 3:15; Philippians 1:27, 28; 2 Thessalonians 2:17). The Colossians were to pray for the apostle that he might "speak the mystery of Christ... as he ought to speak;" and he bids them seek for themselves the same gift of παρρησία, liberty of speech and readiness to "every good word." For their faith was assailed by persuasive sophistry (Colossians 2:4, 8, 23) and by brew-beating dogmatism (Colossians 2:16, 18, 20, 21). They were, like St. Paul, "set for the defence of the gospel," placed in the van of the conflict against heresy. They needed, therefore, "to have all their wits about them," so as to be able, as occasion required, to make answer to each of their opponents and questioners, that they might "contend" wisely as well as "earnestly for the faith." 1 Peter 3:15 is a commentary on this verse: the parallelism is the closer because that Epistle was addressed to Churches in Asia Minor, where the debates out of which Gnosticism arose were beginning to be rife; and because, likewise, "the hope that was in them" was a chief object of the attack made on the Colossian believers (Colossians 1:5, 23, 27; Colossians 2:18; Colossians 3:15). With this exhortation the Christian teaching of the Epistle is concluded. In its third and practical part (Colossians 3:1-4:6) the apostle has built up, on the foundation of the doctrine laid down in the first chapter, and in place of the attractive but false and pernicious system denounced in the second, a lofty and complete ideal of the Christian life. He has led us from the contemplation of its "life of life" in the innermost mystery of union with Christ and of its glorious destiny in him (Colossians 3:1-4), through the soul's interior death-struggle with its old corruptions (vers. 5-11) and its investment with the graces of its new life (vers. 12-15), to the expression and outward acting of that life in the mutual edification of the Church (vers. 16, 17), in the obedience and devotion of the family circle (ver. 18 - Colossians 4:1), in constant prayerfulness and sympathy with the ministers and suffering witnesses of Christ (vers. 2-4), and, lastly, in such converse with men of the world, and in the midst of the distracting debate by which faith is assailed, as shall fittingly commend the Christian cause.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[Let] your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

speech
λόγος (logos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

always [be]
πάντοτε (pantote)
Adverb
Strong's 3842: Always, at all times, ever. From pas and hote; every when, i.e. At all times.

gracious,
χάριτι (chariti)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5485: From chairo; graciousness, of manner or act.

seasoned
ἠρτυμένος (ērtymenos)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 741: Prop: I arrange, make ready; I season, flavor. From a presumed derivative of airo; to prepare, i.e. Spice.

with salt,
ἅλατι (halati)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 217: Salt. From hals; salt; figuratively, prudence.

so that you may know
εἰδέναι (eidenai)
Verb - Perfect Infinitive Active
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

how
πῶς (pōs)
Adverb
Strong's 4459: Adverb from the base of pou; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way?; also as exclamation, how much!

to answer
ἀποκρίνεσθαι (apokrinesthai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Strong's 611: From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.

everyone.
ἑκάστῳ (hekastō)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1538: Each (of more than two), every one. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every.


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NT Letters: Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace (Coloss. Col Co)
Colossians 4:5
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