Filipitɔwo 1
1 Nye, Paulo, kple Timoteo, Yesu Kristo ƒe dɔlawo gbɔe agbalẽ sia tso, Na dzikpɔlawo kple kpeɖeŋutɔwo kpakple Mawu ƒe ame kɔkɔe siwo katã le Filipi.
[I], Paul, and Timothy, [who is with me, are] men who serve Christ Jesus. I [am writing this letter] to all [of you who are] pastors and deacons in Philippi [city] and to the rest of God’s people [there who have a close relationship] with Christ Jesus.
2 Amenuveve kple ŋutifafa si tso Mawu, mía Fofo kple Aƒetɔ Yesu Kristo gbɔ la nanɔ anyi kpli mi.
[We both] (OR, [I]) [pray that] God, [who is] our Father, and Jesus Christ, [who is our] Lord, [will continue to] be kind to you and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.
3 Nye gbedodoɖawo katã ɖe mia ta nye akpedada sɔŋ ko na Mawu.
I thank my God whenever I think about you.
4 Eye ne mele gbe dom ɖa ɖe mia ta la, dzidzɔ sɔŋ yɔa nye dzi me,
Every time [DOU] I pray [for you], I joyfully pray [DOU] for all of you.
5 le kpekpeɖeŋu gã siwo katã mienam le Kristo ƒe nyanyui la kaka me tso ɣeyiɣi si miesee gbã va se ɖe fifia la ta.
I [thank God and rejoice] because you have been [working] together with me in order to [make known] the good message about Christ. [You started doing that] when you first [MTY] [believed it, and you have continued doing it] until now.
6 Eye meka ɖe edzi be Mawu, ame si dze dɔ nyui sia wɔwɔ gɔme le mia me la ayi edzi, akpe ɖe mia ŋu be miatsi ɖe edzi le eƒe amenuveve la me va se ɖe esime dɔ si wɔwɔ gɔme wòdze le mia me la nawu enu le ŋkeke si Yesu Kristo agatrɔ ava la dzi.
I am completely confident that [God], who has begun to do in you what is good, (OR, that since [God] has begun to do in you what is good, he) will continue to do that until he finishes doing it on the day Christ Jesus [MTY] [returns].
7 Ele ɖoɖo nu be, nye dzi nanɔ ɖe mia ŋu abe ale si wòle ene, elabena miekpɔ gome le Mawu ƒe yayra me, esi menɔ gaxɔ me kple esi medo, eye menɔ nyanyui la ta ʋlim henɔ gbeƒã ɖem Kristo na amewo.
During this time that I have been a prisoner [MTY] and during the times I was previously able to defend the good message about Christ and proved/confirmed [to others] that it is true, all of you have been sharing with me (OR, have helped me) in this work [that God] kindly gave [to me to do. So] indeed it is right that I feel joyful about you all, because you are very dear [IDM] to me.
8 Mawu ɖeka koe nya lɔlɔ̃ vavã si le menye ɖe mia ŋu abe ale si Yesu Kristo hã lɔ̃ mi ene.
God [can] verify that Christ Jesus causes me to [love and] long for all of you very much, [just like] Christ loves [you].
9 Nye gbedodoɖa ɖe mia tae nye be miayɔ fũu, eye miagbã go kple lɔlɔ̃ na mia nɔewo, eye nenema ke, mianɔ tsitsim ɖe edzi le gbɔgbɔmenunya kple sidzedze me.
And what I pray [for you] is that [God will enable] you to truly know and learn how to love [one another] more and more in every situation.
10 Elabena medina vevie ɣe sia ɣi be miakpɔ vovototo le nyui kple vɔ̃ dome, eye kpe ɖe esia ŋuti la, mianɔ dzadzɛ le miaƒe dziwo me, ale be ame aɖeke makpɔ kpɔtsɔtsɔ le mia ŋuti o, va se ɖe esime Kristo nagatrɔ ava.
[And I pray that he will enable] you to completely understand [how you should believe and act]. I [pray this] in order that you might be [spiritually] pure and faultless (OR, completely faultless [DOU]) on the day that Christ [returns] [MTY],
11 Mitse dzɔdzɔenyenye ƒe ku si tso Yesu Kristo me la. Esiawoe ahe kafukafu kple ŋutikɔkɔe geɖe vɛ na Mawu.
[and in order that] you might conduct your lives [IDM] completely righteously as a result of Jesus Christ [enabling you to do so], in order that [people will] honor God and praise him (OR, [people will] praise God very much [DOU]).
12 Nɔvi lɔlɔ̃awo, medi be mianya esia be: Nu sia nu si dzɔ ɖe dzinye le afi sia la, do gbeƒãɖeɖe Kristo ƒe nyanyui la ɖe ŋgɔ boŋ.
My fellow believers, I want you to know that the [troubles] I have experienced [have not prevented me from proclaiming the good message to people. Instead], [these things that I have experienced] have enabled even more people to hear the good message [about Christ].
13 Elabena ame sia ame si le gbɔnye le afi sia hekpe ɖe asrafo siwo katã le asaɖa me ŋuti la nya kɔtɛe be, susu si ta mele game ɖo koe nye be menye kristotɔ.
[Specifically], all the military guards who are stationed [here in Rome] and many other [HYP] [people in this city] [HYP] now know that I am a prisoner [MTY] because I [proclaim the good news] about Christ.
14 Eye nye gamenɔnɔ na be kristotɔ siwo katã le afi sia la megavɔ̃na na gamenɔnɔ o. Ke Aƒetɔ la de dzi ƒo na wo ale gbegbe be womegavɔ̃a gbeƒãɖeɖe nyanyuie la o.
Also, most of the believers [here now] proclaim the message from God more courageously and fearlessly [because] they trust the Lord [more firmly to help them. They trust the Lord more] because [they have seen how the Lord has helped me] while I have been a prisoner [MTY] [here].
15 Nyateƒe wònye be ame aɖewo ɖea gbeƒã Kristo le ŋuʋaʋã kple dzrewɔwɔ ta, ke ame bubu aɖewo ɖea gbeƒã nya la kple dzitsinya nyui.
Some people proclaim [the message about Christ as I do] because they are happy [with my work]. They proclaim [the message about] Christ because they love [me and because] they know that [God] has placed me [here] to defend the message about Christ [CHI].
16 Ame evelia siawo wɔnɛ le lɔlɔ̃ me, elabena wonya be mele ga me le afi sia le nyanyui la ta ʋiʋli ŋuti.
17 Ame kemɛawo gblɔa Kristo ƒe nya la le ɖokuitɔdidi ta, ke menye tso dzi vavã me o, ke boŋ be yewoatsɔ xaxa akpe ɖe nye gaxɔmenɔnɔ ŋu.
Others proclaim [the message about] Christ because they envy [me] and oppose [me]. They proclaim the message about Christ because they have wrong motives. They [wrongly] assume [that because they are causing many people to follow them, I will be jealous, and as a result], I will feel more miserable while I am a prisoner [MTY] [here].
18 Susu ka ke nu wole mawunya la gblɔm ɖo hã la, enye nyateƒe matrɔmatrɔ be wole gbeƒã ɖem Kristo ƒe nyanyui la, eye esia ta mekpɔa dzidzɔ ɖo.
But it does not matter whether [people proclaim the message about Christ] because they have wrong motives, or whether [people proclaim the message about Christ] because they have right motives. The important thing in either case is that [the message about] Christ is being proclaimed {people are proclaiming [the message about] Christ}. And because of that I rejoice! Philippians 1:18b-26 Furthermore, I will continue to rejoice,
19 Manɔ dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ dzi ɖaa, elabena menya be zi ale si miele gbe dom ɖa ɖe tanye, eye Yesu Kristo ƒe Gbɔgbɔ la hã le kpekpem ɖe ŋunye la, esiawo katã ahe nyui vɛ nam, eye woawɔe be woaɖe asi le ŋutinye le gaxɔ me.
because when I experience troubles, I know that some day God will say that he approves [of what I have done] (OR, that [the Roman authorities] will set me free). [This will happen] as a result of your praying for me, and [as a result] of [God’s] Spirit, whom Jesus Christ gave me, helping me.
20 Mele lalam, eye mele mɔ kpɔm be nyemawɔ naneke atsɔ ado ŋukpe ɖokuinye o, ke boŋ manɔ klalo ɣe sia ɣi aɖe gbeƒã Kristo abe ale si mewɔnɛ tsã ene. Menya be, mele agbe o, meku o, made bubu Kristo ŋu.
I [know that this will happen] because I very confidently expect [DOU] that I will faithfully honor Christ. I expect that like I always [have done], Christ will be greatly honored {I will continue now also to very boldly honor Christ} by means of all that I do [SYN, MTY], whether by [the way I] live or [by the way I] die.
21 Le gonyeme la, agbenɔnɔ nye mɔnukpɔkpɔ nam be mawɔ dɔ na Kristo. Ke ku gaɖe vi wu.
As for me, I live [in order to honor] Christ. But if I die, it will be better [for me than if I continue to live, because then I will be with him].
22 Ke nenye be agbenɔnɔ le ŋutilã me ana mɔnukpɔkpɔ geɖem be maɖe luʋɔwo na Kristo la, ekema nyemeganya ne agbe alo kue nyo wu o.
On the other hand, if I continue to live, that will enable me to continue to serve [Christ] effectively. As a result, I do not know which to choose.
23 Ewɔna nam ɣe aɖewo ɣi be manɔ agbe, gake le ɣe bubu ɣiwo la, edzroam be maku, elabena medi vevie be mayi aɖanɔ Kristo gbɔ. O, adzɔ dzi nam sãa wu be manɔ kodzogbe afi sia!
That is, I am not sure which of those two I [prefer]. I long to leave [this world] and [go to] be with Christ, because that will be very much better [for me].
24 Gake nyateƒe lae nye be mate ŋu ana kpekpeɖeŋu geɖe mi ne mele ŋutilã me.
Nevertheless, it is more important that I remain alive [than that I go to be with Christ because] you still need [me to help you].
25 Ɛ̃, ele eme be nye dɔwɔwɔ gahiã le agbe sia me, eya ta meka ɖe edzi be maganɔ agbe vie be makpe ɖe mia ŋuti miatsi ɖe edzi le xɔse me, eye miakpɔ dzidzɔ.
Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain [alive] and that I will [go/come to] be with you all. [As a result], you will believe [in Christ] more firmly, and [as a result of that], you will rejoice.
26 Nye agbenɔnɔ ado dzidzɔ na mi, eye wòana mɔnukpɔkpɔ mi be miakafu Yesu Kristo le ale si wòna megale agbe la ta, ne megava mia gbɔ.
[That is], you will be able to rejoice very greatly because of Christ Jesus [bringing] me [to be with you again].
27 Ke nu ka kee adzɔ ɖe dzinye hã la, miɖo ŋku edzi ɣe sia ɣi be mianɔ agbe ɖe Kristo ƒe nyanyui la ŋu, ale be ne magakpɔ mi alo nyemakpɔ mi o hã la, manɔ ɖaseɖiɖi nyuiwo sɔŋ ko xɔm tso mia ŋuti be mi katã miele ɖeka le gbɔgbɔ me kple susu ɖeka sia be miaʋli nyanyui ƒe xɔse la ta
Most importantly, as fellow [believers in Christ], conduct yourselves just like [you learned you should do when you heard] the message about Christ. Do that in order that whether I come and see you, or whether [I am away from you and] people tell me about you, [what I hear or see will make me happy]. They will tell me that you are unitedly and cooperatively resisting [those who oppose the message about Christ] (OR, [oppose you]). I [will know] that you are not allowing others to influence you to believe a message that is different from the gospel [about Christ].
28 dzideƒotɔe, nu ka kee miaƒe futɔwo awɔ mi hã. Woakpɔ esia abe woƒe anyidzedze ƒe dzesi ene, ke miawo la, esia anye dzesi tso Mawu gbɔ be eli kpli mi, eye bena ena xɔxɔ mi.
And I [will know] that you are not at all frightened by {afraid of} the people who oppose you. This will show/prove to those people that [God] will destroy them, but this will show/prove to you that [God] will save you eternally. It is God who is doing [all] this.
29 Miawo la, menye Kristo dzi xɔxɔ se ƒe mɔnukpɔkpɔ ko wona mi o, ke boŋ be miakpe fu ɖe eta hã.
Remember that he has not only kindly enabled you to believe in Christ, [he] has also kindly allowed you to suffer for the sake of Christ.
30 Mí katãe le avu sia wɔm ɖekae. Miekpɔ ale si mekpe fu ɖe eta va yi, eye fifia hã megale avu sesẽ aɖe wɔm abe ale si mienya nyuie ene.
[As a result], you are [having to] resist [those who oppose the good message], just like you saw that I [had to] resist [such people there in Philippi], and just like you hear that I [still have to resist such people here] now.
