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 want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face.

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,

I want their hearts to be comforted and knit together in love, so that they may have all the riches of being fully assured in their understanding, and so that they may know 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 all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

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

I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive speech.

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 I am absent in body, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

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

Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him,

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

being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in it 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 careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men and the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.

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

For all the fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ,

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

and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler 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 him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not done by hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh in the circumcision of 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 with him in baptism, you have also been raised with him through faith in the powerful working 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 although you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses

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;

by blotting out the certificate of debt that stood against us with its legal demands; he took it away by nailing it to the cross.

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

He stripped the rulers and authorities of their power and made a public display of them, leading a triumphal procession over them by the cross.

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,

Therefore let no one judge you in regard to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day.

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

These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance is 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 who delights in false humility and angelic religion disqualify you. Such a person takes his stand on things he has not seen, being puffed up without reason by the mind of his flesh,

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.

while not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supported and knit together by its joints and tendons, grows with a growth that is from 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 you have died with Christ to the elements of the world, why, as though you were living in the world, do you submit to regulations such as,

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

“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch”?

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

Such regulations are based on the commandments and doctrines of men, and apply to things that will all decay with use.

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.

Although these regulations have a semblance of wisdom in self-imposed piety, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are of no value in restraining fleshly indulgence.