Philippians 2

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

1 If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,

2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.

2 make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;

4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

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

5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.

7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.

9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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

12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

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

13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,

14 Do all things without complaining and arguing,

15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

16 as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

16 holding up the word of life, that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain.

17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

17 Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

18 In the same way, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I learn how you are doing.

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.

20 I have nobody else like him who will genuinely care for your needs.

20 For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.

21 For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

21 For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.

22 But you know that he has proved himself. As a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

23 So I hope to send him as soon as I see what happens with me.

23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me.

24 And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

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

25 But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs.

25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need,

26 For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.

26 since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick.

27 He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

27 For indeed he was sick nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less anxious.

28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,

29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor,

30 because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.

30 because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.