Philippians 2

1 If there is therefore any exhortation in Messiah, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,

If then there is any comfort in Christ, if there is any persuasive power in love, if there is any companionship of the Spirit, if there is any tenderness or pity,

2 make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;

I entreat you to make my joy overflow by living in harmony; possessing the same love, and with one soul united in one purpose.

3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;

Do nothing out of strife, nothing out of vanity, but let each one in true humility consider the others to be of more account than himself.

4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

Let each have an eye not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

5 Have this in your attitude, which was also in Messiah Jesus,

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

who, though from the beginning he had the nature of God, did not reckon equality with God something to be forcibly retained,

7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

but emptied himself of his glory by taking the form of a slave, when he was born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.

More than this, after he had shone himself in human form, he humbled himself in his obedience even to death; yes, and to death on a cross.

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;

And for this God highly exalted him, and graciously bestowed upon him the name which is above every name;

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

that in the name of Jesus every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth should bend,

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus (the) Messiah is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

and every tongue confess that "Jesus Christ is Lord," to the glory of God the Father.

12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with awe and reverence.

And so, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, with reverence and self- distrust work out your own salvation;

13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

for it is God who, in his good-will is ever working in you both will and deed.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,

Do everything without grumbling and disputes,

15 that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

that you may become blameless and innocent, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in a dark world,

16 holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Messiah, that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

holding out a message of life. Thus it will be my boast at the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, or toiled for nothing.

17 Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all.

Nay, even if my life is to be poured out as a libation upon the sacrifice and service of you faith,

18 In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me.

I will rejoice and congratulate you all; and in the same way you must rejoice and congratulate me.

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may be of good comfort when I learn the news concerning you.

20 For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.

For I have no other like him with a genuine concern for your welfare,

21 For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus (the) Messiah.

for they are all seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

22 But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the gospel.

And you know Timothy’s worth, how he has shared my servitude in furtherance of the gospel, like a son helping his father.

23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me.

So I hope to send him, as soon as ever I see how it will go with me;

24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

but I trust in the Lord that I also shall come shortly.

25 But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need;

Epaphroditus, my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, who is your messenger and minister to my needs, I have thought it necessary to send to you;

26 since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick.

for he has been homesick for you all, and distressed at your having heard of his illness.

27 For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

And indeed he was sick nigh unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also so that I should not have sorrow upon sorrow.

28 I have sent him all the more eagerly, therefore, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and that I may be less anxious.

Therefore I have been the more eager to send him, in order that you may rejoice in seeing him again, and that I may have one sorrow less.

29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor,

Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold in honor men like him;

30 because for the work of Messiah he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

for it was through the work of the Lord that he came near to death; for he hazarded his very life to supply what was lacking in the help you sent me.