Colossians 2

1 For I would have you know, what manner of care I have for you and for them that are at Laodicea, and whosoever have not seen my face in the flesh:

And I wish you to know, what a struggle I have for you, and for them of Laodicea, and for the others who have not seen my face in the flesh;

2 That their hearts may be comforted, being instructed in charity, and unto all riches of fulness of understanding, unto the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ Jesus:

that their hearts may be comforted, and that they, by love, may come to all the riches of assurance, and to the understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father, and of the Messiah,

3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

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

4 Now this I say, that no man may deceive you by loftiness of words.

And this I say, lest any one should mislead you by the persuasiveness of words.

5 For though I be absent in body, yet in spirit I am with you; rejoicing, and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith which is in Christ.

For though I am separated from you in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit; and I rejoice at beholding your good order, and the stability of your faith in the Messiah.

6 As therefore you have received Jesus Christ the Lord, walk ye in him;

As therefore ye have received Jesus the Messiah our Lord, walk ye in him,

7 Rooted and built up in him, and confirmed in the faith, as also you have learned, abounding in him in thanksgiving.

strengthening your roots and building up yourselves in him, and establishing yourselves in the faith which ye have learned, in which may ye abound in thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy, and vain deceit; according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ:

Beware, lest any man make you naked by philosophy, and by vain deception, according to the doctrines of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to the Messiah,

9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead corporeally;

in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Divinity corporeally.

10 And you are filled in him, who is the head of all principality and power:

And in him ye are also complete, because he is the head of all principalities and authorities.

11 In whom also you are circumcised with circumcision not made by hand, in despoiling of the body of the flesh, but in the circumcision of Christ:

And in him ye have been circumcised with a circumcision without hands, by casting off the flesh of sins, by a circumcision of the Messiah.

12 Buried with him in baptism, in whom also you are risen again by the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him up from the dead.

And ye have been buried with him, by baptism; and by it ye have risen with him; while ye believed in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 And you, when you were dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh; he hath quickened together with him, forgiving you all offences:

And you, who were dead in your sins, and by the uncircumcision of your flesh, he hath vivified with him; and he hath forgiven us all our sins:

14 Blotting out the handwriting of the decree that was against us, which was contrary to us. And he hath taken the same out of the way, fastening it to the cross:

and, by his mandates, he blotted out the handwriting of our debts, which handwriting existed against us, and took it from the midst, and affixed it to his cross.

15 And despoiling the principalities and powers, he hath exposed them confidently in open shew, triumphing over them in himself.

And, by yielding up his body, he showed contempt for principalities and authorities; and put them to shame, openly, in his own person.

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of a festival day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths,

Let no one therefore disquiet you about food and drink, or about the distinctions of festivals, and new moons, and sabbaths;

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

which were shadows of the things then future; but the body is the Messiah.

18 Let no man seduce you, willing in humility, and religion of angels, walking in the things which he hath not seen, in vain puffed up by the sense of his flesh,

And let no one wish, by abasing the mind, to bring you under bonds, that ye subject yourselves to the worship of angels; while he is prying into that which he hath not seen, and is vainly inflated in his fleshly mind,

19 And not holding the head, from which the whole body, by joints and bands, being supplied with nourishment and compacted, groweth unto the increase of God.

and holdeth not the head, from which the whole body is framed and constructed, with joints and members, and groweth with the growth given of God.

20 If then you be dead with Christ from the elements of this world, why do you yet decree as though living in the world?

For if ye are dead with the Messiah from the rudiments of the world, why are ye judged as if ye were living in the world?

21 Touch not, taste not, handle not:

But, touch thou not, and taste thou not, and handle thou not:

22 Which all are unto destruction by the very use, according to the precepts and doctrines of men.

for these things perish in the using; and they are the commandments and doctrines of men.

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in superstition and humility, and not sparing the body; not in any honour to the filling of the flesh.

And they seem to have a kind of wisdom, in a show of humility, and of the fear of God, and of not sparing the body; not in any thing of excellence, but in things subservient to the body.