Read this verse in 6 Bible translations — from word-for-word to thought-for-thought.
New International Version · 1978 (rev. 2011)
Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.
41 words · Balance of accuracy and readability
King James Version · 1611
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, <sup>beguile: or, judge against you</sup> <sup>in a: Gr. being a voluntary in humility</sup>
45 words · Formal / word-for-word
English Standard Version · 2001 (rev. 2016)
Let 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,
26 words · Essentially literal
New Living Translation · 1996 (rev. 2015)
Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud,
30 words · Thought-for-thought clarity
The Message · 2002
Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are.
39 words · Contemporary paraphrase
New American Standard Bible · 1971 (rev. 2020)
Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on [visions] he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
34 words · Most literal English translation
Bible Verse Randomizer offers Colossians 2:18 in 6 translations: New International Version, King James Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, The Message, New American Standard Bible. Each uses a different translation philosophy — from word-for-word (KJV, ESV, NASB) to thought-for-thought (NIV, NLT) to paraphrase (MSG).
No single translation is "best" — it depends on your purpose. For deep study, use the ESV or NASB (word-for-word). For devotional reading, the NIV balances accuracy and readability. The NLT and MSG are excellent for understanding the general meaning in modern English. Comparing multiple translations helps grasp the full richness of the text.
Literal (formal equivalence) translations like KJV, ESV, and NASB translate word-for-word from the original Hebrew/Greek. Dynamic equivalence translations like NIV and NLT translate thought-for-thought for clarity. The MSG is a paraphrase that captures the spirit in contemporary language. Each approach has strengths — that's why comparing translations is valuable.