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,

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,

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.

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

3 Miganye ɖokuitɔdilawo o; migawɔ nu be miadze ame bubuwo ŋu o. Mibɔbɔ mia ɖokuiwo, eye mibu ame bubuwo be wonyo wu mi.

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;

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

5 Mina susu ma ke si nɔ Kristo Yesu hã me la nanɔ miawo hã mia me.

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

6 Ame si, esi wònye be Mawu ƒe nɔnɔme mee wònɔ hã la, mebui be yesɔ kple Mawu o,

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

7 ke boŋ eɖi gbɔlo eɖokui hetsɔ dɔla ƒe nɔnɔme do, eye wòva le ame ƒe nɔnɔme me.

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

8 Esi wònɔ ame ƒe nɔnɔme me la, ebɔbɔ eɖokui, ɖo to yi ɖase ku me, yi ɖase atitsogaŋutiku me ke!

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

9 Eya ta Mawu doe ɖe dzi yi ɖase teƒe kɔkɔtɔ kekeake, eye wòtsɔ ŋkɔ si ƒo ŋkɔwo katã ta la nɛ.

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,

10 Be le Yesu ƒe ŋkɔ me, ame sia ame, adze klo nɛ le dziƒo kple anyigba dzi kple anyigba te,

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,

11 eye aɖe sia aɖe aʋu eme be Yesu Kristoe nye Aƒetɔ, hena Mawu Fofo la ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe.

and that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD, to the glory of God the 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,

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.

13 elabena Mawue le dɔ wɔm le mia me. Eyae kpena ɖe mia ŋu be miaɖo toe, eye miawɔ eƒe lɔlɔ̃nu.

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.

14 Miwɔ nu sia nu liʋĩliʋĩlilĩ kple nyahehe manɔmee,

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

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,

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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

18 Eya ta miawo hã, mikpɔ dzidzɔ kplim.

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

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.

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.

20 Ame aɖeke megali si tsɔ ɖe le miaƒe nya me le nyateƒe me wu Timoteo o.

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

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

22 Ke mienya Timoteo nyuie. Ɖe wòle nam abe vi ene, eye wòwɔa dɔ kplim le nyanyui la gbɔgblɔ me.

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.

23 Mele mɔ kpɔm be maɖoe ɖe mi kpuie; mekpɔ nu siwo le dzɔdzɔm ɖe dzinye la gbɔ vɔ.

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

24 Eye mele dzi ɖom ɖe Aƒetɔ la ŋu be ana be nye ŋutɔ hã mava kpɔ mi ɖa kpuie.

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

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.

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.

26 Azɔ la, megbugbɔe le ɖoɖom ɖe mi, elabena ele mia susum, eye esi miese be edze dɔ la, ele nu xam.

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

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.

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.

28 Eya ta metsi dzi vevie be maɖoe ɖe mi, eye ne miegakpɔe la, miakpɔ dzidzɔ, eye esia aɖe nye nuxaxawo dzi kpɔtɔ.

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.

29 Mido dzaa nɛ le Aƒetɔ la me kple dzidzɔ gã aɖe eye miɖe miaƒe ŋudzedzekpɔkpɔ fiae,

Receive him therefore with heartfelt Christian joy, and hold in honour men 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.

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.