Colossians 2:16-23
New King James Version
16 So let no one (A)judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a [a]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 (B)which are a shadow of things to come, but the [b]substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has [c]not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to (C)the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, (D)grows with the increase that is from God.
20 [d]Therefore, if you (E)died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, (F)why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 (G)“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—(H)according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 (I)These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and [e]neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Colossians 2:16 feast day
- Colossians 2:17 Lit. body
- Colossians 2:18 NU omits not
- Colossians 2:20 NU, M omit Therefore
- Colossians 2:23 severe treatment, asceticism
Colossians 2:16-23
English Standard Version
Let No One Disqualify You
16 Therefore let no one (A)pass judgment on you (B)in questions of food and drink, or with regard to (C)a festival or (D)a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 (E)These are a shadow of the things to come, but (F)the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one (G)disqualify you, (H)insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, (I)going on in detail about visions,[a] (J)puffed up without reason by (K)his sensuous mind, 19 and (L)not (M)holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
20 If with Christ (N)you died to the (O)elemental spirits of the world, (P)why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 (Q)“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 ((R)referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to (S)human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in (T)promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are (U)of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Colossians 2:18 Or about the things he has seen
Colossians 2:16-23
King James Version
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
Read full chapterScripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
