Filipitɔwo 2
1 Azɔ ne nuxɔxlɔ̃ aɖe li le Kristo me, ne lɔlɔ̃ ƒe dzideƒonya aɖe li, ne gbɔgbɔ ƒe hadede aɖe li, ne dɔmetɔtrɔ aɖe kple nublanuikpɔkpɔ aɖe li la,
Since Christ encourages us, since he loves us and comforts us, since God’s Spirit fellowships with [us, and] since [Christ] is very merciful [DOU] to us,
2 ekema mina makpɔ dzidzɔ vavãtɔ to miaƒe taɖodzinu ɖeka kple mia nɔewo lɔlɔ̃ me; eye mitsɔ gbɔgbɔ ɖeka kple susu ɖeka wɔ dɔe aduadu.
make me completely happy [by doing the following things]: Agree with one another, love one another, be closely united with one another, and [live] harmoniously with one another [DOU].
3 Miganye ɖokuitɔdilawo o; migawɔ nu be miadze ame bubuwo ŋu o. Mibɔbɔ mia ɖokuiwo, eye mibu ame bubuwo be wonyo wu mi.
Never try to selfishly make yourselves more important than [others] nor boast [about what you are doing]. Instead, be humble, [and in particular], honor one another more than you honor yourselves.
4 Tɔnye ko nenyo meganɔ mia me o; ke boŋ mibu ame bubuwo hã ŋuti, eye miatsɔ ɖe le nu si wɔm wole la me.
Each one of you should not [only] be concerned about your own affairs. Instead, each of you should also be concerned (that you help/about the needs of) one another.
5 Mina susu ma ke si nɔ Kristo Yesu hã me la nanɔ miawo hã mia me.
You should think/act just like Christ Jesus [thought/acted].
6 Ame si, esi wònye be Mawu ƒe nɔnɔme mee wònɔ hã la, mebui be yesɔ kple Mawu o,
[Although] he has the same nature as God has, he did not insist on keeping all the privileges of being equal with God.
7 ke boŋ eɖi gbɔlo eɖokui hetsɔ dɔla ƒe nɔnɔme do, eye wòva le ame ƒe nɔnɔme me.
Instead, he [willingly] gave up divine privileges. [Specifically], he became a human being and took the attitude of a servant. When he had become a human being,
8 Esi wònɔ ame ƒe nɔnɔme me la, ebɔbɔ eɖokui, ɖo to yi ɖase ku me, yi ɖase atitsogaŋutiku me ke!
he humbled himself [even more. Specifically], he obeyed [God] even to the extent of [being willing to] die. [He was even willing to] be nailed to a cross, [to die as though he were a criminal].
9 Eya ta Mawu doe ɖe dzi yi ɖase teƒe kɔkɔtɔ kekeake, eye wòtsɔ ŋkɔ si ƒo ŋkɔwo katã ta la nɛ.
As a result, God promoted him [to a] rank [that] is above every [other] rank.
10 Be le Yesu ƒe ŋkɔ me, ame sia ame, adze klo nɛ le dziƒo kple anyigba dzi kple anyigba te,
[God did that] in order that every being [SYN] in heaven and on earth and under the earth should worship [MTY] Jesus,
11 eye aɖe sia aɖe aʋu eme be Yesu Kristoe nye Aƒetɔ, hena Mawu Fofo la ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe.
and in order that every person [SYN] should declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. [As a result of everyone doing that, they will] honor God, [his] Father.
12 Esia ta xɔ̃nye lɔlɔ̃awo, abe ale si mienye sedziwɔlawo ene, esi menɔ mia gbɔ la, ele be miagalé seawo dzi wɔwɔ me ɖe asi sesĩe wu, esi nyemegale mia gbɔ o. Miwɔ miaƒe xɔxɔkpɔkpɔ ŋu dɔ le vɔvɔ̃ kple dzodzo nyanyanya me,
My dear friends, as you consider this, since you have always obeyed [God], each of you should very reverentially [DOU] try to do those things [that are proper for people whom God has] saved. [You should do those things] not only when I am with you. [Instead, you should try] even more [to do them] now when I am not with you.
13 elabena Mawue le dɔ wɔm le mia me. Eyae kpena ɖe mia ŋu be miaɖo toe, eye miawɔ eƒe lɔlɔ̃nu.
[You are able to do these things], since God [himself] causes you to desire to do what he wants you to do, and he also enables you to do what he wants you to do.
14 Miwɔ nu sia nu liʋĩliʋĩlilĩ kple nyahehe manɔmee,
Do everything [God or your leaders ask you to do]. Never complain about what they want you to do, or argue with them.
15 ale be miazu mokakamanɔŋutɔwo kple ame dzadzɛwo. Minɔ agbe si ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o, abe Mawu ƒe vi siwo le xexe si me do viviti tsiɖitsiɖi heyɔ fũu kple ame mawɔnuteƒewo kple kɔlialiatɔwo la ene. Miklẽ le wo dome abe ɣletiviwo ene,
Behave like that in order that you may be completely faultless [DOU] and may be perfect children of God [DOU] while you live in the midst of people who are wicked and do very wicked things [DOU]. As you live among them, show them clearly [MET] [the way they ought to behave], just like the sun, moon, and stars [show the road clearly to us] [SIM].
16 eye migblɔ Agbenya la na wo, be mate ŋu aƒo adegbe le Kristo ƒe vavagbe be nyemewɔ dɔ vlo o. Ekema nenye be Kristo gava la, makpɔ dzidzɔ gã aɖe be nyemewɔ dɔ si meɖe vi aɖeke o.
Tell them how [to] have eternal life. I [ask that you do that] in order that on the day Christ [returns] I may be able to rejoice [MTY], that I did not labor [DOU] so hard among you in vain.
17 Eye nenye be wokɔ nye ʋu ɖi abe nunonovɔsa ene na Mawu ɖe miaƒe xɔse ta hã la, anye dzidzɔ nam, eye makpɔ dzidzɔ kpli mi.
Perhaps [the Roman authorities] will execute me, [and my blood will pour out] [MET] [as the] wine pours out when the priest offers it to God [MET]. [For your part], you believe [in Christ firmly]. As a result, you have given yourselves completely to God in order that you might do what he wills [MET], [just like a priest] offers a sacrifice [completely to God] [MET]. [Because I dedicate myself wholly to God] together with you, even if [they are about to execute me], I will greatly rejoice [DOU], [because I am giving myself wholly to God], and because you all [are giving yourselves wholly to God].
18 Eya ta miawo hã, mikpɔ dzidzɔ kplim.
Similarly, you too should rejoice [because you are giving yourselves wholly to God], and you should rejoice because I [am giving myself wholly to God].
19 Mele mɔ kpɔm be ne Aƒetɔ Yesu lɔ̃ la, maɖo Timoteo ɖa be wòava kpɔ mi ɖa kpuie. Ekema ne etrɔ gbɔ la, nu siwo wòava gblɔ nam tso nu siwo katã wɔm miele kple ale si miele dɔa dzii ŋu la, ana dzi nagaɖo ƒonye.
My relationship with the Lord Jesus [leads me] to confidently expect that [he will enable me] to send Timothy to you soon, in order that [his telling you the news about me will encourage you. But] I also expect that [his returning to me and] telling me the news about you will encourage me.
20 Ame aɖeke megali si tsɔ ɖe le miaƒe nya me le nyateƒe me wu Timoteo o.
[Keep in mind that] I have no one [else] like him who genuinely cares for you.
21 Edze abe ɖe bubuawo katã tsi dzi ɖe woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ɖoɖowo ŋuti, eye menye ɖe Yesu Kristo tɔwo ŋu o ene.
All the others [whom I have considered that I might send to you] are concerned [only] about their own matters. They are not concerned about what Jesus Christ [considers important].
22 Ke mienya Timoteo nyuie. Ɖe wòle nam abe vi ene, eye wòwɔa dɔ kplim le nyanyui la gbɔgblɔ me.
But you know that Timothy has proved that he [serves the Lord and others faithfully. You know] that he has served [the Lord closely together] with me in [proclaiming to people] the message about Christ as though he were [SIM] my son and I were his [own] father.
23 Mele mɔ kpɔm be maɖoe ɖe mi kpuie; mekpɔ nu siwo le dzɔdzɔm ɖe dzinye la gbɔ vɔ.
So then he is the one I confidently expect to send [to you] as soon as I know what will happen to me.
24 Eye mele dzi ɖom ɖe Aƒetɔ la ŋu be ana be nye ŋutɔ hã mava kpɔ mi ɖa kpuie.
And I am confident that I will soon be released {[the authorities will soon release me]} [so that] the Lord will enable me also to come/go [to you] soon.
25 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, mebui be enyo be magbugbɔ nɔvinye Epafrodito aɖo ɖe mi. Ezu nɔvinye, nye dɔwɔhati, asrafo, ame si nye miaƒe dɔla si mieɖo ɖa be wòana kpekpeɖeŋum le nye hiahiãwo me la.
I have concluded that it is [really] necessary that I send Epaphroditus [back] to you. He is a fellow believer and my fellow worker, and he [endures difficulties together with me] [MET], [just like] soldiers [endure difficulties together]. You sent him [to me] in order that he might help me when I was needy [EUP].
26 Azɔ la, megbugbɔe le ɖoɖom ɖe mi, elabena ele mia susum, eye esi miese be edze dɔ la, ele nu xam.
[But I have concluded that I must send him back to you] because he has been longing to see you all. Furthermore, he has been [very] distressed because [he knows that] you heard that he had become sick.
27 Le nyateƒe me la, edze dɔ, eye wòku kloe, gake Mawu kpɔ nublanui na nye kplii siaa, be metsɔ eƒe ku ƒe nuxaxa tsɔ kpe esiwo le dzinye xoxo la o.
Indeed, he was so sick that he almost died. However, [he did not die]. Instead, God pitied him and he also pitied me, [and as a result he healed him. God pitied me] because he did not want me to be even more sorrowful than I already was.
28 Eya ta metsi dzi vevie be maɖoe ɖe mi, eye ne miegakpɔe la, miakpɔ dzidzɔ, eye esia aɖe nye nuxaxawo dzi kpɔtɔ.
So, I am sending him [back to you] as quickly as possible, in order that you may rejoice [when you see him again] and in order that I may be less sorrowful [than I was].
29 Mido dzaa nɛ le Aƒetɔ la me kple dzidzɔ gã aɖe eye miɖe miaƒe ŋudzedzekpɔkpɔ fiae,
Welcome him very joyfully [just like believers] in [our] Lord [Jesus should welcome one another. While he was] working for Christ, he was helping me in place of you [because you were far away]. He knew that he might die as a result of helping me, and [truly] he nearly did die. So honor [him, and honor all] those who are like him.
30 elabena eƒe agbe ɖo xaxa gã aɖe me ɖe Kristo ƒe dɔ la ta, eye wòku kloe le esime wònɔ agbagba dzem be yeawɔ nu siwo miete ŋu wɔ nam o la, ɖe ale si miele adzɔge le gbɔnye ta.
