| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, | 1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, |
| 2that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, | 2that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, |
| 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. | 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. |
| 4Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. | 4I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. |
| 5For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. | 5For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. |
| 6As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, | 6Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, |
| 7rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. | 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. |
| 8Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. | 8See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. |
| 9For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; | 9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, |
| 10and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. | 10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. |
| 11In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, | 11In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, |
| 12buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. | 12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. |
| 13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, | 13And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, |
| 14having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. | 14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. |
| 15Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. | 15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. |
| 16So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, | 16Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. |
| 17which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. | 17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. |
| 18Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, | 18Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, |
| 19and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. | 19and not 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. |
| 20Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— | 20If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— |
| 21“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” | 21“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” |
| 22which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? | 22(referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? |
| 23These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. | 23These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
|
