| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at 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, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. |
| 2That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; | 2I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery--Christ. |
| 3In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. | 3All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him. |
| 4And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. | 4I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments. |
| 5For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. | 5For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ. |
| 6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: | 6Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, |
| 7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. | 7rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude. |
| 8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. | 8Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. |
| 9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. | 9For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ, |
| 10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: | 10and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. |
| 11In 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 Christ: | 11You were also circumcised in Him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Messiah. |
| 12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. | 12Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. |
| 13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; | 13And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. |
| 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; | 14He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross. |
| 15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. | 15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him. |
| 16Let 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: | 16Therefore, don't let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. |
| 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. | 17These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah. |
| 18Let 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, | 18Let no one disqualify you, insisting on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated without cause by his unspiritual mind. |
| 19And 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. | 19He doesn't hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God. |
| 20Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, | 20If you died with the Messiah to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: " |
| 21(Touch not; taste not; handle not; | 21Don't handle, don't taste, don't touch"? |
| 22Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? | 22All these regulations refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are commands and doctrines of men. |
| 23Which 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. | 23Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence. |
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