King James Bible

New Living Translation

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

1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?

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

2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

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

3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

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

4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

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

5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

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

6Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

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

7Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,

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

8he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

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

9Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,

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

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

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

11and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Shine Brightly for Christ

12Wherefore, 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.

12Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

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

13For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

14Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

14Do everything without complaining and arguing,

15That 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;

15so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

16Holding 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.

16Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

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

17But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.

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

18Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy. Paul Commends Timothy

19But 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.

19If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along.

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

20I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare.

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

21All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.

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

22But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News.

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

23I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.

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

24And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon. Paul Commends Epaphroditus

25Yet 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.

25Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need.

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

26I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill.

27For 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.

27And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.

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

28So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you.

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

29Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve.

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

30For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.