Colossians 2

1 For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you and for those at Laodicea, and for 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, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of 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 all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

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

4 Now I say this that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.

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

5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in 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 therefore 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 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, even 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 Be careful that you do not let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elemental spirits of the world, and not after 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 For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily,

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

10 and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power.

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

11 In him you were also 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 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 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from 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 You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our 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 wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing 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 powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in 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 therefore judge you in eating or drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,

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 things to come; but the body is Christ’s.

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

18 Let no one rob you of your prize by self-abasement and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

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 firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.

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 you died with Christ from the elemental spirits of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves 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 “Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”

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

22 (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?

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

23 These things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, humility, and severity to the body, but are not of any value against the indulgence of 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.