Philipper 1
1 Paulus und Timotheus, Knechte Jesu Christi, an alle Heiligen in Christus Jesus, die in Philippi sind, samt den Aufsehern und Dienern:
[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 Gnade sei mit euch und Friede von Gott, unsrem Vater und dem Herrn Jesus Christus!
[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 Ich danke meinem Gott, so oft ich euer gedenke,
I thank my God whenever I think about you.
4 allezeit, in jedem Gebet für euch alle, indem ich das Gebet mit Freuden tue
Every time [DOU] I pray [for you], I joyfully pray [DOU] for all of you.
5 wegen eurer Gemeinschaft am Evangelium vom ersten Tage an bis jetzt,
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 und weil ich davon überzeugt bin, daß der, welcher in euch ein gutes Werk angefangen hat, es auch vollenden wird bis auf den Tag Jesu Christi.
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 Es ist ja nur billig, daß ich so von euch allen denke, weil ich euch im Herzen trage, sowohl in meinen Banden als auch bei der Verteidigung und Bekräftigung des Evangeliums, damit ihr alle mit mir der Gnade teilhaftig seid.
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 Denn Gott ist mein Zeuge, wie mich nach euch allen verlangt in der herzlichen Liebe Jesu Christi.
God [can] verify that Christ Jesus causes me to [love and] long for all of you very much, [just like] Christ loves [you].
9 Und um das bitte ich, daß eure Liebe noch mehr und mehr reich werde an Erkenntnis und allem Empfindungsvermögen,
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 damit ihr zu prüfen vermöget, worauf es ankommt, so daß ihr lauter und unanstößig seid auf den Tag Jesu Christi,
[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 erfüllt mit Frucht der Gerechtigkeit, die durch Jesus Christus [gewirkt wird] zur Ehre und zum Lobe Gottes.
[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 Ich will aber, Brüder, daß ihr wisset, wie alles, was mir begegnet ist, nur mehr zur Förderung des Evangeliums ausgeschlagen hat
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 so daß in der ganzen kaiserlichen Kaserne und bei den übrigen allen bekannt geworden ist, daß ich um Christi willen gebunden bin,
[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 und daß die Mehrzahl der Brüder im Herrn, durch meine Bande ermutigt, es desto kühner wagen, das Wort Gottes zu reden ohne Furcht;
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 etliche predigen zwar Christus auch aus Neid und Streitsucht, andere aber aus guter Gesinnung:
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 diese aus Liebe, weil sie wissen, daß ich zur Verteidigung des Evangeliums bestimmt bin;
17 jene aber, die es aus Parteisucht tun, verkündigen Christus nicht lauter, da sie beabsichtigen, meinen Banden noch Trübsal hinzuzufügen.
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 Was tut es? Wenn nur auf alle Weise, sei es zum Vorwand oder in Wahrheit, Christus verkündigt wird, so freue ich mich darüber und will mich auch freuen!
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 Denn ich weiß, daß mir das zum Heil ausschlagen wird durch eure Fürbitte und die Handreichung des Geistes Jesu Christi,
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 nach meiner Erwartung und Hoffnung, daß ich in nichts zuschanden werde, sondern daß in aller Freimütigkeit, wie allezeit, so auch jetzt, Christus hochgepriesen werde an meinem Leibe, es sei durch Leben oder durch Tod.
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 Denn für mich ist Christus das Leben, und das Sterben ist mein Gewinn.
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 Wenn aber das Leben im Fleische mir Gelegenheit gibt zu fruchtbarer Wirksamkeit, so weiß ich nicht, was ich wählen soll.
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 Denn ich werde von beidem bedrängt: Ich habe Lust, abzuscheiden und bei Christus zu sein, was auch viel besser wäre;
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 aber es ist nötiger, im Fleische zu bleiben um euretwillen.
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 Und weil ich davon überzeugt bin, so weiß ich, daß ich bleiben werde; und ich will [auch gerne] bei euch allen verbleiben zu eurer Förderung und Freude im Glauben,
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 damit ihr um soviel mehr zu rühmen habet in Christus Jesus meinethalben, wegen meiner erneuten Anwesenheit bei euch.
[That is], you will be able to rejoice very greatly because of Christ Jesus [bringing] me [to be with you again].
27 Wandelt nur würdig des Evangeliums Christi, damit, ob ich komme und euch sehe, oder abwesend bin, ich von euch höre, daß ihr feststehet in einem Geiste und einmütig miteinander kämpfet für den Glauben des Evangeliums
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 und euch in keiner Weise einschüchtern lasset von den Widersachern, was für sie eine Anzeige des Verderbens, für euch aber des Heils ist, und zwar von Gott.
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 Denn euch wurde in bezug auf Christus die Gnade verliehen, nicht nur an ihn zu glauben, sondern auch um seinetwillen zu leiden,
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 indem ihr denselben Kampf habt, den ihr an mir sahet und nun von mir höret.
[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.
