Colossians 2

1 For I wish you to know how great a conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,

I want you to know how great is my concern for you and those in Laodicea, even all who have not met me personally,

2 that their hearts may be comforted, being united in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of the understanding, to the full knowledge of the secret of the God and Father, and of the Christ,

that their hearts may be encouraged, being united in love and into a great wealth of confident understanding, into a real knowledge of the mystery of the God and Father and of the Christ,

3 in whom are all the treasures of the wisdom and the knowledge hid,

in whom all the treasures of the wisdom and the knowledge are hidden.

4 and this I say, that no one may deceive you with enticing words,

Now I say this so that no one may deceive you with specious arguments.

5 for if even in the flesh I am absent—yet in the spirit I am with you, rejoicing and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in regard to Christ;

For although in fact I am physically absent, yet my spirit is with you, rejoicing as I observe your orderliness and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

6 as, then, you received Christ Jesus the LORD, walk in Him,

So then, keep on walking in the Christ, Jesus the Sovereign, just as you received Him,

7 being rooted and built up in Him, and confirmed in the faith, as you were taught—abounding in it in thanksgiving.

having been rooted and being built up in Him and being established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 See that no one will be carrying you away as spoil through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,

Be careful that no one captures you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ.

9 because in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,

Because all the Fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him in bodily form,

10 and you are made full in Him, who is the head of all principality and authority,

and you are complete in Him who is the head over all rule and authority.

11 in whom you also were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of the Christ,

In Him you were also ‘circumcised’ by the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, not with a circumcision done by hands but with the circumcision of the Christ,

12 being buried with Him in the immersion, in which you also rose with [Him] through the faith of the working of God, who raised Him out of the dead.

having been buried with Him in the baptism. In Him you were also raised together through your faith in the productive power of the God who raised Him from among the dead.

13 And you—being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh—He made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all the trespasses,

Yes you, though being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh—He has made you alive together with Him; having forgiven us all our trespasses;

14 having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances that is against us, that was contrary to us, and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross;

having wiped out the written record about us that was against us (based on the ordinances), indeed He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;

15 having stripped the principalities and the authorities, He made a show of them openly—having triumphed over them by it.

having stripped the principalities and the authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, having triumphed over them by it [the cross].

16 Let no one, then, judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a celebration, or of a new moon, or of Sabbaths,

So do not let anyone judge you about food or drink, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or Sabbaths,

17 which are a shadow of the coming things, but the body [is] of the Christ;

which things are but a shadow of those to come, while the body is Christ's.

18 let no one deceive you of your prize, delighting in humble-mindedness and [in] worship of the messengers, intruding into the things he has not seen, being vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh,

Nor let anyone disqualify you, taking pleasure in a subservience and devotion to the angels, ‘taking possession’ of things that he has not seen, being puffed up by his carnal mind to no useful purpose,

19 and not holding the Head, from which all the body—gathering supply through the joints and bands, and being knit together—may increase with the increase of God.

and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, supported and held together by its joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

20 If, then, you died with the Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as living in the world, are you subject to ordinances—

Now then, since you died with Christ away from the basic principles of the world, why, as though still living in it, are you subjecting yourselves to regulations

21 you may not touch, nor taste, nor handle—

—Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!—

22 which are all for destruction with the using, after the commands and teachings of men,

(all of which result in corruption through overuse) according to the commands and teachings of men?

23 which are, indeed, having a matter of wisdom in self-willed religion, and humble-mindedness, and neglecting of body—not of any value to satisfying the flesh.

Such things do indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and subservience and asceticism, but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.