Philippians, 2

1. If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

1. If I may advise you in the name of Christ and if you can hear it as the voice of love; if we share the same spirit and are capable of mercy and compassion, then I beg of you

2. Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind.

2. make me very happy: have one love, one spirit, one feeling,

3. [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

3. do nothing through rivalry or vain conceit. On the contrary let each of you gently consider the others as more important than yourselves.

4. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

4. Do not seek your own interest, but rather that of others.

5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

5. Let what was seen in Christ Jesus be seen in you:

6. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

6. Though being divine in nature, he did not claim in fact equality with God,

7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

7. but emptied himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in his appearance found as a man.

8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

8. He humbled himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross.

9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

9. That is why God exalted him and gave him the Name which outshines all names,

10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;

10. so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead,

11. And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

11. and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

12. Therefore, my dearest friends, as you always obeyed me while I was with you, even more now that I am far from you, continue working out your salvation "with fear and trembling."

13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

13. It is God who makes you not only wish but also carry out what pleases him.

14. Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

14. Do everything without grumbling,

15. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

15. so that without fault or blame, you will be children of God without reproach among a crooked and perverse generation. You are a light among them, like stars in the universe,

16. Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

16. holding to the Word of life. I shall feel proud of you on the day of Christ on seeing that my effort and labor have not been in vain.

17. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

17. And if I have to pour out my blood as an offering to celebrate your faith, I rejoice and continue to share your joy;

18. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

18. and you likewise should rejoice and share my joy.

19. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.

19. The Lord Jesus lets me hope that I may soon send you Timothy, and have news of you. With this I will feel encouraged.

20. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

20. For I have no one so concerned for you as he is.

21. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

21. Most follow their own interest, not those of Christ Jesus.

22. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

22. But Timothy has proved himself, as you know. Like a son at the side of his father, he has been with me at the service of the Gospel.

23. Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

23. Because of that I hope to send him to you as soon as I see how things work out for me.

24. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.

24. Nevertheless the Lord lets me think that I myself shall be coming soon.

25. Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

25. I judged it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, who worked and fought at my side and whom you sent to help me in my great need.

26. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

26. In fact, he missed you very much and was still more worried because you had heard of his sickness.

27. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

27. He was indeed sick and almost died, but God took pity on him and on me, sparing me greater sorrow.

28. I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

28. And so I am eager to send him to you, so that on seeing him you will be glad and I will be at peace.

29. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:

29. Receive him then with joy, as is fitting in the Lord. Consider highly persons like him,

30. Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

30. who almost died for the work of Christ; he risked his life to serve me on your behalf when you could not help me.