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 desire you to know, how great a contest I am having—in behalf of you, and of those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

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,

In order that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, even unto all the riches of the full assurance of their understanding, unto a personal knowledge of the sacred secret of God, —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 hidden away.

4 and this I say, that no one may beguile you in enticing words,

This I say, in order that, no one, may be reasoning, you, aside with plausible discourse;

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

For, though, indeed, in the flesh, I am absent, yet, in the spirit, with you, I am—rejoicing, and beholding your order and the solid firmness of your Christ-ward faith.

6 as, then, ye did receive Christ Jesus the Lord, in him walk ye,

As therefore ye have accepted the Anointed Jesus as your Lord, in him, be walking, —

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

Rooted, and being built up, in him, and making yourselves sure in your faith, even as ye have been taught, —surpassing therein with thanksgiving.

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

Be taking heed, lest there shall be anyone leading, you, off as a spoil, through means of their philosophy, and an empty deceit, —according to the instruction of men, according to the first principles of the world, —and not according to Christ:

9 because in him doth tabernacle all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,

Because, in him, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily,

10 and ye are in him made full, who is the head of all principality and authority,

And ye are, in him, filled full, —Who, is the head of all principality and authority,

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

In whom, ye have also been circumcised with a circumcision not done by hand, in the despoiling of the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Christ, —

12 being buried with him in the baptism, in which also ye rose with [him] through the faith of the working of God, who did raise him out of the dead.

Having been buried together with him in your immersion, wherein also ye have been raised together, through your faith in the energising of 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,

And, as for you—who were, dead, by your offences and by the uncircumcision of your flesh, he hath brought you to life together with him, —having in favour forgiven us all our offences,

14 having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances that is against us, that was contrary to us, and he hath taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;

Having blotted out the handwriting against us by the decrees, which was hostile to us, —and hath taken away, the same, out of the midst, nailing it up to the cross:

15 having stripped the principalities and the authorities, he made a shew of them openly — having triumphed over them in it.

Spoiling the principalities and the authorities, he made of them an open example, celebrating a triumph over them thereby.

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

Let no one, therefore, be judging, you, —in eating and in drinking, or in respect of feast, or new moon, or sabbath, —

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

Which are a shadow of the things to come, whereas, the body, is of the Christ.

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

Let, no one, against you, be arbitrating, however wishful, —in respect of lowliness of mind, and of a religious observance of the messengers: upon what things he hath seen, taking his stand, in vain, puffed up by his carnal mind, —

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

And not holding fast the head: from which, all the body, through means of its joints and uniting bands, receiving supply, and connecting itself together, groweth with the growth of God.

20 If, then, ye did die with the Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?

If ye have died, together with Christ, from the first principles of the world, why, as though alive in the world, are ye submitting to decrees, —

21 — thou mayest not touch, nor taste, nor handle —

Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch; —

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

Which things are all for decay in the using up; —according to the commandments and teachings of men?

23 which are, indeed, having a matter of wisdom in will-worship, and humble-mindedness, and neglecting of body — not in any honour, unto a satisfying of the flesh.

The which things, indeed, though they have, an appearance, of wisdom, in self-devised religious observance, and lowliness of mind, [and] ill-treatment of body, are, in no honourable way, unto a satisfying of the flesh.