Philippians 2

1 If then I can appeal to you as the followers of Christ, if there is any persuasive power in love and any common sharing of the Spirit, or if you have any tender-heartedness and compassion, make my joy complete by being of one mind,

Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

2 united by mutual love, with harmony of feeling giving your minds to one and the same object.

then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.

3 Do nothing in a spirit of factiousness or of vainglory, but, with true humility, let every one regard the rest as being of more account than himself;

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

4 each fixing his attention, not simply on his own interests, but on those of others also.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Let the same disposition be in you which was in Christ Jesus.

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

6 Although from the beginning He had the nature of God He did not reckon His equality with God a treasure to be tightly grasped.

Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

7 Nay, He stripped Himself of His glory, and took on Him the nature of a bondservant by becoming a man like other men.

but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.

8 And being recognized as truly human, He humbled Himself and even stooped to die; yes, to die on a cross.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross.

9 It is in consequence of this that God has also so highly exalted Him, and has conferred on Him the Name which is supreme above every other,

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,

10 in order that in the Name of JESUS every knee should bow, of beings in Heaven, of those on the earth, and of those in the underworld,

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

11 and that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST 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 Therefore, my dearly-loved friends, as I have always found you obedient, labour earnestly with fear and trembling--not merely as though I were present with you, but much more now since I am absent from you--labour earnestly, I say, to make sure of your own salvation.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

14 Be ever on your guard against a grudging and contentious spirit,

Do everything without complaining or arguing,

15 so that you may always prove yourselves to be blameless and spotless--irreproachable children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as heavenly lights in the world,

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

16 holding out to them a Message of Life. It will then be my glory on the day of Christ that I did not run my race in vain nor toil in vain.

as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

17 Nay, even if my life is to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I rejoice, and I congratulate you all.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

18 And I bid you also share my gladness, and congratulate me.

So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

19 But, if the Lord permits it, I hope before long to send Timothy to you, that I, in turn, may be cheered by getting news of you.

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I learn how you are doing.

20 For I have no one likeminded with him, who will cherish a genuine care for you.

I have nobody else like him who will genuinely care for your needs.

21 Everybody concerns himself about his own interests, not about those of Jesus Christ.

For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

22 But you know Timothy's approved worth--how, like a child working with his father, he has served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.

23 So it is he that I hope to send as soon as ever I see how things go with me;

So I hope to send him as soon as I see what happens with me.

24 but trusting, as I do, in the Lord, I believe that I shall myself also come to you before long.

And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

25 Yet I deem it important to send Epaphroditus to you now--he is my brother and comrade both in labour and in arms, and is your messenger who has ministered to my needs.

But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs.

26 I send him because he is longing to see you all and is distressed at your having heard of his illness.

For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.

27 For it is true that he has been ill, and was apparently at the point of death; but God had pity on him, and not only on him, but also on me, to save me from having sorrow upon sorrow.

He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

28 I am therefore all the more eager to send him, in the hope that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have the less sorrow.

Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less anxious.

29 Receive him therefore with heartfelt Christian joy, and hold in honour men like him;

Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,

30 because it was for the sake of Christ's work that he came so near death, hazarding, as he did, his very life in endeavouring to make good any deficiency that there might be in your gifts to me.

because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.