Προς Φιλιππησιους 2
1 Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί,
If, then, any encouragement comes through union with Christ, if there is any persuasive power in love, if there is any communion with the Spirit, if there is any tenderness or pity,
2 πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες, σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες,
I entreat you to make my happiness complete – live together animated by the same spirit and in mutual love, one in heart, animated by one Spirit.
3 μηδὲν κατʼ ἐριθείαν ⸂μηδὲ κατὰ κενοδοξίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν,
Nothing should be done out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility lift others up above yourselves,
4 μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ⸀ἕκαστοι⸀σκοποῦντες ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων ⸁ἕκαστοι
considering not only your own interests but also the interests of others.
5 τοῦτο ⸀φρονεῖτεἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,
Let the spirit of Christ Jesus be yours also.
6 ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,
Though the divine nature was his from the beginning, yet he did not look on equality with God as above all things to be clung to,
7 ἀλλὰ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος· καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος
but impoverished himself by taking the nature of a servant and becoming like one of us;
8 ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ·
he appeared among us as a man, and still further humbled himself by submitting even to death – to death on a cross!
9 διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸ ὑπερύψωσεν, καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ⸀τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα,
And that is why God raised him to the very highest place, and gave him the name which stands above all other names,
10 ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων,
so that in adoration of the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth,
11 καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται ὅτι κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός.
and that every tongue should acknowledge JESUS CHRIST as LORD – to the glory of God the Father.
12 Ὥστε, ἀγαπητοί μου, καθὼς πάντοτε ὑπηκούσατε, μὴ ὡς ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ μου μόνον ἀλλὰ νῦν πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ ἀπουσίᾳ μου, μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε,
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always been obedient in the past, so now work out your own salvation with anxious care, not only when I am with you, but all the more now that I am absent.
13 ⸀θεὸςγάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐνεργῶν ἐν ὑμῖν καὶ τὸ θέλειν καὶ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐδοκίας.
Remember it is God who, in his kindness, is at work within you, enabling you both to will and to work.
14 Πάντα ποιεῖτε χωρὶς γογγυσμῶν καὶ διαλογισμῶν,
In all that you do, avoid murmuring and dissension,
15 ἵνα γένησθε ἄμεμπτοι καὶ ἀκέραιοι, τέκνα θεοῦ ⸂ἄμωμα μέσον γενεᾶς σκολιᾶς καὶ διεστραμμένης, ἐν οἷς φαίνεσθε ὡς φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ
so as to prove yourselves blameless and innocent – faultless children of God, in the midst of an evil-disposed and perverse generation, in which you are seen shining like stars in a dark world,
16 λόγον ζωῆς ἐπέχοντες, εἰς καύχημα ἐμοὶ εἰς ἡμέραν Χριστοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς κενὸν ἔδραμον οὐδὲ εἰς κενὸν ἐκοπίασα.
offering to them the message of life; and then I will be able at the day of Christ to boast that I did not run my course for nothing, or toil for nothing.
17 ἀλλὰ εἰ καὶ σπένδομαι ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ καὶ λειτουργίᾳ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν, χαίρω καὶ συγχαίρω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν·
And yet, even if, when your faith is offered as a sacrifice to God, my lifeblood must be poured out in addition, still I will rejoice and share the joy of you all;
18 τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ ὑμεῖς χαίρετε καὶ συγχαίρετέ μοι.
and you must also rejoice and share my joy.
19 Ἐλπίζω δὲ ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ Τιμόθεον ταχέως πέμψαι ὑμῖν, ἵνα κἀγὼ εὐψυχῶ γνοὺς τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν.
I hope, however, as one who trusts in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may myself be cheered by receiving news of you.
20 οὐδένα γὰρ ἔχω ἰσόψυχον ὅστις γνησίως τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν μεριμνήσει,
For I have no one but him to send – no one of kindred spirit who would take the same genuine interest in your welfare.
21 οἱ πάντες γὰρ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ζητοῦσιν, οὐ τὰ ⸂Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
They are all pursuing their own aims and not those of Christ Jesus.
22 τὴν δὲ δοκιμὴν αὐτοῦ γινώσκετε, ὅτι ὡς πατρὶ τέκνον σὺν ἐμοὶ ἐδούλευσεν εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον.
But you know what Timothy has proved himself to be, and how, like a child working for his father, he worked hard with me in spreading the good news.
23 τοῦτον μὲν οὖν ἐλπίζω πέμψαι ὡς ἂν ἀφίδω τὰ περὶ ἐμὲ ἐξαυτῆς·
It is Timothy, then, whom I hope to send, just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.
24 πέποιθα δὲ ἐν κυρίῳ ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ταχέως ἐλεύσομαι.
And I am confident, as one who trusts in the Lord Jesus, that before long I myself will follow.
25 Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ ἡγησάμην Ἐπαφρόδιτον τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ συνεργὸν καὶ συστρατιώτην μου, ὑμῶν δὲ ἀπόστολον καὶ λειτουργὸν τῆς χρείας μου, πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς,
Still I think it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you now, for he is my dear friend, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, and he was also your messenger to help me in my need.
26 ἐπειδὴ ἐπιποθῶν ἦν πάντας ⸀ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀδημονῶν διότι ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἠσθένησεν.
For he has been longing to see you all, and has been distressed because you heard of his illness.
27 καὶ γὰρ ἠσθένησεν παραπλήσιον ⸀θανάτῳ ἀλλὰ ὁ θεὸς ⸂ἠλέησεν αὐτόν, οὐκ αὐτὸν δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμέ, ἵνα μὴ λύπην ἐπὶ λύπην σχῶ.
And I can assure you that his illness very nearly proved fatal. But God had pity on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.
28 σπουδαιοτέρως οὖν ἔπεμψα αὐτὸν ἵνα ἰδόντες αὐτὸν πάλιν χαρῆτε κἀγὼ ἀλυπότερος ὦ.
I am all the more ready, therefore, to send him, so that the sight of him may revive your spirits and my own sorrow be lightened.
29 προσδέχεσθε οὖν αὐτὸν ἐν κυρίῳ μετὰ πάσης χαρᾶς, καὶ τοὺς τοιούτους ἐντίμους ἔχετε,
Give him, then, the heartiest of Christian welcomes, and hold such people in great honour.
30 ὅτι διὰ τὸ ἔργον ⸀Χριστοῦμέχρι θανάτου ἤγγισεν, ⸀παραβολευσάμενοςτῇ ψυχῇ ἵνα ἀναπληρώσῃ τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα τῆς πρός με λειτουργίας.
For it was owing to his devotion to the Master’s work that he was at the point of death, having risked his own life in the effort to supply what was wanting in the help that you sent me.
