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.

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus: To all God's people in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the ministers of the Church and their assistants.

2 Amenuveve kple ŋutifafa si tso Mawu, mía Fofo kple Aƒetɔ Yesu Kristo gbɔ la nanɔ anyi kpli mi.

May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Nye gbedodoɖawo katã ɖe mia ta nye akpedada sɔŋ ko na Mawu.

I thank my God at my every remembrance of you--

4 Eye ne mele gbe dom ɖa ɖe mia ta la, dzidzɔ sɔŋ yɔa nye dzi me,

always when offering any prayer on behalf of you all, finding a joy in offering it.

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 my God, I say, for your cooperation in spreading the Good News, from the time it first came to you even 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.

For of this I am confident, that He who has begun a good work within you will go on to perfect it in preparation for the day of Jesus Christ.

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.

And I am justified in having this confidence about you all, because, both during my imprisonment and when I stand up in defence of the Good News or to confirm its truth, I have you in my heart, sharers as you all are in the same grace as myself.

8 Mawu ɖeka koe nya lɔlɔ̃ vavã si le menye ɖe mia ŋu abe ale si Yesu Kristo hã lɔ̃ mi ene.

For God is my witness how I yearn over all of you with tender Christian affection.

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 it is my prayer that your love may be more and more accompanied by clear knowledge and keen perception, for testing things that differ,

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.

so that you may be men of transparent character, and may be blameless, in preparation for the day of Christ,

11 Mitse dzɔdzɔenyenye ƒe ku si tso Yesu Kristo me la. Esiawoe ahe kafukafu kple ŋutikɔkɔe geɖe vɛ na Mawu.

being filled with these fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God.

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.

Now I would have you know, brethren, that what I have gone through has turned out to the furtherance of the Good News rather than otherwise.

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.

And thus it has become notorious among all the Imperial Guards, and everywhere, that it is for the sake of Christ that I am a prisoner;

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.

and the greater part of the brethren, made confident in the Lord through my imprisonment, now speak of God's Message without fear, more boldly than ever.

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 indeed actually preach Christ out of envy and contentiousness but there are also others who do it from good will.

16 Ame evelia siawo wɔnɛ le lɔlɔ̃ me, elabena wonya be mele ga me le afi sia le nyanyui la ta ʋiʋli ŋuti.

These latter preach Him from love to me, knowing that I am here for the defence of the Good News;

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.

while the others proclaim Him from motives of rivalry, and insincerely, supposing that by this they are embittering my imprisonment.

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.

What does it matter, however? In any case Christ is preached--either perversely or in honest truth; and in that I rejoice, yes, and will 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.

For I know that it will result in my salvation through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

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.

in fulfilment of my eager expectation and hope that I shall never have reason to feel ashamed, but that by my perfect freedom of speech Christ will be glorified in me, now as always, either by my life or by my death.

21 Le gonyeme la, agbenɔnɔ nye mɔnukpɔkpɔ nam be mawɔ dɔ na Kristo. Ke ku gaɖe vi wu.

For, with me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

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.

But since to live means a longer stay on earth, that implies more labour for me--and not unsuccessful labour; and which I am to choose I cannot tell.

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!

I am in a dilemma, my earnest desire being to depart and be with Christ, for that is far, far better.

24 Gake nyateƒe lae nye be mate ŋu ana kpekpeɖeŋu geɖe mi ne mele ŋutilã me.

But for your sakes it is more important that I should still remain in the body.

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.

I am convinced of this, and I know that I shall remain, and shall go on working side by side with you all, to promote your progress and joy in the faith;

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.

so that, as Christians, you may have additional reason for glorying about me as the result of my being 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

Only let the lives you live be worthy of the Good News of the Christ, in order that, whether I come and see you or, being absent, only hear of you, I may know that you are standing fast in one spirit and with one mind, fighting shoulder to shoulder for the faith of the Good News.

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.

Never for a moment quail before your antagonists. Your fearlessness will be to them a sure token of impending destruction, but to you it will be a sure token of your salvation--a token coming from God.

29 Miawo la, menye Kristo dzi xɔxɔ se ƒe mɔnukpɔkpɔ ko wona mi o, ke boŋ be miakpe fu ɖe eta hã.

For you have had the privilege granted you on behalf of Christ--not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on His behalf;

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.

maintaining, as you do, the same kind of conflict that you once saw in me and which you still hear that I am engaged in.