Colossians 2

1 For I desire you to know, how great a contest I am having—in behalf of you, and of 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 had for you, for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.

2 In order that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, even unto all the riches of the full assurance of their understanding, unto a personal knowledge of the sacred secret of God, —Christ:

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 away.

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

4 This I say, in order that, no one, may be reasoning, you, aside with plausible discourse;

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

5 For, though, indeed, in the flesh, I am absent, yet, in the spirit, with you, I am—rejoicing, and beholding your order and the solid firmness of your Christ-ward faith.

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 ye have accepted the Anointed Jesus as your Lord, in him, be walking, —

As you received Christ the Lord, walk in him.

7 Rooted, and being built up, in him, and making yourselves sure in your faith, even as ye have been taught, —surpassing therein 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 taking heed, lest there shall be anyone leading, you, off as a spoil, through means of their philosophy, and an empty deceit, —according to the instruction of men, according to the first principles of the world, —and not according to Christ:

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 Because, in him, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily,

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

10 And ye are, in him, filled full, —Who, is the head of all principality and authority,

You have been filled in him, who is the head over every power and authority.

11 In whom, ye have also been circumcised with a circumcision not done by hand, in the despoiling of the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Christ, —

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 together with him in your immersion, wherein also ye have been raised together, through your faith in the energising of God—Who raised him from among 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 And, as for you—who were, dead, by your offences and by the uncircumcision of your flesh, he hath brought you to life together with him, —having in favour forgiven us all our offences,

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 Having blotted out the handwriting against us by the decrees, which was hostile to us, —and hath taken away, the same, out of the midst, nailing it up 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 Spoiling the principalities and the authorities, he made of them an open example, celebrating a triumph over them thereby.

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

16 Let no one, therefore, be judging, you, —in eating and in drinking, or in respect of feast, or new moon, or sabbath, —

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, whereas, the body, is of the Christ.

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

18 Let, no one, against you, be arbitrating, however wishful, —in respect of lowliness of mind, and of a religious observance of the messengers: upon what things he hath seen, taking his stand, in vain, puffed up by his carnal 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 fast the head: from which, all the body, through means of its joints and uniting bands, receiving supply, and connecting itself together, groweth with the growth of God.

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 ye have died, together with Christ, from the first principles of the world, why, as though alive in the world, are ye submitting to decrees, —

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 Which things are all for decay in the using up; —according to the commandments and teachings of men?

All these things will perish with use, according to the instructions and teachings of men.

23 The which things, indeed, though they have, an appearance, of wisdom, in self-devised religious observance, and lowliness of mind, [and] ill-treatment of body, are, in no honourable way, unto a satisfying 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.