Philippians, 3

1. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed [is] not grievous, but for you [it is] safe.

1. Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. It is not a burden for me to write again the same things, and for you it is safer.

2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

2. Beware of the dogs, beware of the bad workers; beware of the circumcised.

3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

3. We are the true circumcised people since we serve according to the Spirit of God, and our confidence is in Christ Jesus rather than in our merits.

4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

4. I myself do not lack those human qualities in which people have confidence. If some of them seem to be accredited with such qualities, how much more am I!

5. Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

5. I was circumcised when eight days old. I was born of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, born of Hebrews. With regard to the Law, I am a Pharisee,

6. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

6. and such was my zeal for the Law that I persecuted the Church. As for being righteous according to the Law, I was blameless.

7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

7. But once I found Christ, all those things that I might have considered as profit, I reckoned as loss.

8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,

8. Still more, everything seems to me as nothing compared with the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have let everything fall away and I now consider all as garbage, if instead I may gain Christ.

9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

9. May I be found in him, without merit or holiness of my own for having fulfilled the Law, but with the holiness which comes through faith in Christ, the holiness given by God which depends on faith in Christ Jesus.

10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

10. May I know him and experience the power of his resurrection and share in his sufferings and become like him in his death,

11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

11. and attain through this, God willing, the resurrection from the dead!

12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

12. I do not believe I have already reached the goal, nor do I consider myself perfect, but I press on till I conquer Christ Jesus, as I have already been conquered by him.

13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

13. No, brothers and sisters, I do not claim to have claimed the prize yet. I say only this: forgetting what is behind me, I race forward and run towards the goal,

14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

14. my eyes on the prize to which God has called us from above in Christ Jesus.

15. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

15. Let all of us who claim to be perfect have the same way of thinking, but if there is something on which you differ, God will make it clear to you.

16. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

16. In the meantime, let us hold on to what we have conquered.

17. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

17. Unite in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and look at those who walk in our way of life.

18. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ:

18. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. I have said it to you many times, and now I repeat it with tears:

19. Whose end [is] destruction, whose God [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

19. they are heading for ruin; their belly is their god and they feel proud of what should be their shame. They only think of earthly things.

20. For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

20. For us, our citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord.

21. Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

21. He will transfigure our lowly body, making it like his own body, radiant in Glory, through the power which is his to submit everything to himself.