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,

For I would have you know what a great conflict I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen me in person:

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 comforted, being knit together in love, and to all the riches of a full assurance of understanding in these things, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of our God and Father, and of Christ:

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

in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

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

And this I say, least any one should deceive you with fine speeches.

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 though I be absent in body, yet am I with you in spirit, rejoicing and beholding your regularity, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

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

Therefore as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him;

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

rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught it, abounding therein 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,

Take heed least any one make a prey of you by philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ:

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

for all the fulness of the deity dwelleth personally in Him.

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

And ye are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

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 whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision not performed by hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision which is of 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.

being buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are raised together with Him, through faith in the power of God, who raised Him from 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,

And when ye were dead in trespasses, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven you all 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;

and cancelled the obligation we were under by ritual decrees, which was grievous to us, and hath taken it quite away, even nailing it to his cross.

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

And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made them an open spectacle, triumphing over them by it.

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,

Let no one therefore judge you on account of meat, or drink, or in respect of a feast, or a new-moon, or sabbaths;

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

which are a shadow of good things to come, but the body is of Christ.

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,

Let no one deprive you of your reward by an affected humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into what he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his carnal mind;

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 adhering to the head, from which all the body, being supplied and held together as by joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of 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—

If therefore ye be dead with Christ from the elements of the world; why, as if living in the world, are ye subject to ceremonial ordinances,

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

(such as "touch not, taste not,

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

handle not," which all tend to corruption in the using, ) according to the commandments and doctrines 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.

which things indeed have a pretence to wisdom in voluntary worship, and humiliation, and bodily penance, as having no regard to the satisfying of the flesh.