Colossians 2
Jubilee Bible 2000
2 ¶ For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,
2 that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in charity and in all the riches of the fulfilled understanding to know the mystery of the God and Father and of the Christ;
3 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 ¶ And this I say lest anyone should beguile you with enticing words.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore in the manner in which ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him,
7 rooted and built up in him and confirmed in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, according to the elements of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,
10 and ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power.
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of the Christ;
12 buried together with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead.
13 ¶ And you, being dead in sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14 blotting out the bill of the decrees that was against us, which was contrary to us and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, {Gr. stauro – stake}
15 and having spoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 ¶ Let no one therefore judge you in food or in drink or in respect of a feast day or of the new moon or of the sabbath days,
17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of the Christ.
18 Let no one govern you according to their own will under pretext of humility and religion of angels, intruding into those things which they have not seen, vainly puffed up by their fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, fed and united by its joints and bonds, grows in the increase of God.
20 For if ye are dead with the Christ to the elements of the world, why, as though living unto the world, do ye decree rites,
21 touch not; taste not; handle not?
22 Which all perish with the using, because they are the commandments and doctrines of men,
23 which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship and humility and neglecting of the body, but they have absolutely no value against the appetites of the flesh.
Colossians 2
English Standard Version
2 For I want you to know (A)how great a (B)struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that (C)their hearts may be encouraged, being (D)knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of (E)God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 (F)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order (G)that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For (H)though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your (I)good order and (J)the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Alive in Christ
6 (K)Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 (L)rooted and (M)built up in him and (N)established in the faith, just (O)as you were taught, abounding (P)in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by (Q)philosophy and (R)empty deceit, according to (S)human tradition, according to the (T)elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For (U)in him the whole fullness of deity dwells (V)bodily, 10 and (W)you have been filled in him, who is (X)the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also (Y)you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by (Z)putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 (AA)having been buried with him in baptism, in which (AB)you were also raised with him through faith in (AC)the powerful working of God, (AD)who raised him from the dead. 13 (AE)And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God (AF)made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by (AG)canceling (AH)the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 (AI)He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and (AJ)put them to open shame, by (AK)triumphing over them in him.[c]
Let No One Disqualify You
16 Therefore let no one (AL)pass judgment on you (AM)in questions of food and drink, or with regard to (AN)a festival or (AO)a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 (AP)These are a shadow of the things to come, but (AQ)the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one (AR)disqualify you, (AS)insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, (AT)going on in detail about visions,[d] (AU)puffed up without reason by (AV)his sensuous mind, 19 and (AW)not (AX)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 (AY)you died to the (AZ)elemental spirits of the world, (BA)why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 (BB)“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 ((BC)referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to (BD)human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in (BE)promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are (BF)of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Footnotes
- Colossians 2:8 Or elementary principles; also verse 20
- Colossians 2:15 Probably demonic rulers and authorities
- Colossians 2:15 Or in it (that is, the cross)
- Colossians 2:18 Or about the things he has seen
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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
