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 I want you to know how great a struggle I have had for you, for those at Laodicea, and for as many as 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,

I work so that their hearts may be encouraged by being brought together in love and into all the riches of full assurance of understanding, into the knowledge of the secret truth of God, that is, Christ.

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

In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

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

I say this so that no one may trick you with persuasive speech.

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.

Although I am not with you in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit. I rejoice to see your good order and the strength of your faith in Christ.

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

As you received Christ the Lord, walk in him.

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

Be rooted in him, be built on him, be established in faith just as you were taught, and abound in thanksgiving.

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.

See that no one captures you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, conforming to the elements of the world, and not conforming to Christ.

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

For in him all the fullness of God lives in bodily form.

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

You have been filled in him, who is the head over every power 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 him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not done by humans in the removal of the body of flesh, but 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.

You were buried with him in baptism, and in him you were raised up through faith in the power of God, who raised him 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,

When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him and forgave us all of our trespasses.

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;

He canceled the written record of debts that stood against us with its regulations. He took it away by nailing it to the cross.

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

He disarmed the powers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, by being victorious over them by the cross.

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,

So then, let no one judge you in eating or in drinking, or about a feast day or a new moon, or about Sabbath days.

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

These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance is Christ.

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 one who wants humility and the worship of angels judge you out of your prize. Such a person enters into the things he has seen and becomes puffed up by his fleshly thinking.

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.

He does not hold on to the head. It is from the head that the whole body throughout its joints and ligaments is supplied and held together; it grows with the growth given by 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 died together with Christ to the elements of the world, why do you live as obligated to the world:

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

“Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”?

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

All these things will perish with use, according to the instructions and teachings 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 rules have the wisdom of self-made religion and humility and severity of the body. But they have no value against the indulgence of the flesh.