^{1 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} In whom are all the secret stores of wisdom and knowledge.

^{4 Ref} I say this so that you may not be turned away by any deceit of words.

^{5 Ref} 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 Ref} As, then, you took Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on in him,

^{7 Ref} Rooted and based together in him, strong in the faith which the teaching gave you, giving praise to God at all times.

^{8 Ref} 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 Ref} For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living form,

^{10 Ref} And you are complete in him, who is the head of all rule and authority:

^{11 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} Having made himself free from the rule of authorities and powers, he put them openly to shame, glorying over them in it.

^{16 Ref} 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 Ref} For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's.

^{18 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} Which say there may be no touching, tasting, or taking in your hands,

^{22 Ref} (Rules which are all to come to an end with their use) after the orders and teaching of men?

^{23 Ref} 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.

^{1 Ref} For I wish you to know how great a conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,

^{2 Ref} that their hearts may be comforted, being united in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of the understanding, to the full knowledge of the secret of the God and Father, and of the Christ,

^{3 Ref} in whom are all the treasures of the wisdom and the knowledge hid,

^{4 Ref} and this I say, that no one may beguile you in enticing words,

^{5 Ref} for if even in the flesh I am absent -- yet in the spirit I am with you, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in regard to Christ;

^{6 Ref} as, then, ye did receive Christ Jesus the Lord, in him walk ye,

^{7 Ref} being rooted and built up in him, and confirmed in the faith, as ye were taught -- abounding in it in thanksgiving.

^{8 Ref} See that no one shall be carrying you away as spoil through the philosophy and vain deceit, according to the deliverance of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,

^{9 Ref} because in him doth tabernacle all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,

^{10 Ref} and ye are in him made full, who is the head of all principality and authority,

^{11 Ref} in whom also ye were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh in the circumcision of the Christ,

^{12 Ref} being buried with him in the baptism, in which also ye rose with `him' through the faith of the working of God, who did raise him out of the dead.

^{13 Ref} And you -- being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh -- He made alive together with him, having forgiven you all the trespasses,

^{14 Ref} having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances that is against us, that was contrary to us, and he hath taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;

^{15 Ref} having stripped the principalities and the authorities, he made a shew of them openly -- having triumphed over them in it.

^{16 Ref} Let no one, then, judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a feast, or of a new moon, or of sabbaths,

^{17 Ref} which are a shadow of the coming things, and the body `is' of the Christ;

^{18 Ref} let no one beguile you of your prize, delighting in humble-mindedness and `in' worship of the messengers, intruding into the things he hath not seen, being vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh,

^{19 Ref} and not holding the head, from which all the body -- through the joints and bands gathering supply, and being knit together -- may increase with the increase of God.

^{20 Ref} If, then, ye did die with the Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?

^{21 Ref} -- thou mayest not touch, nor taste, nor handle --

^{22 Ref} which are all for destruction with the using, after the commands and teachings of men,

^{23 Ref} which are, indeed, having a matter of wisdom in will-worship, and humble-mindedness, and neglecting of body -- not in any honour, unto a satisfying of the flesh.

^{1 Ref} 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;

^{2 Ref} 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, both of the Father and of Christ,

^{3 Ref} in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.

^{4 Ref} Now this I say that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.

^{5 Ref} 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 Christ.

^{6 Ref} As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,

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

^{8 Ref} Be careful that you don't let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

^{9 Ref} For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

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

^{11 Ref} in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

^{12 Ref} 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.

^{13 Ref} 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,

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

^{15 Ref} having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

^{16 Ref} Let no man therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,

^{17 Ref} which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.

^{18 Ref} Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

^{19 Ref} 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.

^{20 Ref} If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

^{21 Ref} "Don't handle, nor taste, nor touch"

^{22 Ref} (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?

^{23 Ref} Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren't of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.