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;

For it is my desire to give you news of the great fight I am making for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh;

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, namely, Messiah,

So that their hearts may be comforted, and that being joined together in love, they may come to the full wealth of the certain knowledge of the secret of God, even Christ,

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

In whom are all the secret stores of wisdom and knowledge.

4 Now I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive words.

I say this so that you may not be turned away by any deceit of words.

5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Messiah.

For though I am not present in the flesh, still I am with you in the spirit, seeing with joy your order, and your unchanging faith in Christ.

6 As therefore you received Messiah Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,

As, then, you took Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on in him,

7 rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Rooted and based together in him, strong in the faith which the teaching gave you, giving praise to God at all times.

8 Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty and deceptive philosophy, according to human tradition, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Messiah.

Take care that no one takes you away by force, through man's wisdom and deceit, going after the beliefs of men and the theories of the world, and not after Christ:

9 For in him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living 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 of all rule and authority:

11 in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Messiah;

In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of 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 put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from 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,

And you, being dead through your sins and the evil condition of your flesh, to you, I say, he gave life together with him, and forgiveness of all our sins;

14 wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;

Having put an end to the handwriting of the law which was against us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to his cross;

15 having disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Having made himself free from the rule of authorities and powers, he put them openly to shame, glorying over them in it.

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you about food and drink, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,

For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths:

17 which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Messiah's.

For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's.

18 Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Let no man take your reward from you by consciously making little of himself and giving worship to angels; having his thoughts fixed on the things which he has seen, being foolishly lifted up in his natural mind,

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 joined to the Head, from whom all the body, being given strength and kept together through its joins and bands, has its growth with the increase of God.

20 If you died with Messiah from the elementary principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders

21 "Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch"

Which say there may be no touching, tasting, or taking in your hands,

22 (all of which perish with use), according to human commandments and teachings?

(Rules which are all to come to an end with their use) after the orders and teaching of men?

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

These things seem to have a sort of wisdom in self-ordered worship and making little of oneself, and being cruel to the body, not honouring it by giving it its natural use.