1•1Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the supervisors¹ and deacons:²

•2Grace to †you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

•3I thank my God in all [my] mention of †you, •4always in every petition of mine for †you all, making [my] petition with joy •5over †your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. •6[And] I am confident of this very thing, that the One who began a good work in †you will finish [it] by the day of Christ Jesus. •7[Yes], [I am confident], just as it is right for me to think this regarding †you all, because I hold †you in [my] heart, since †you all are partners with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. •8For God [is] my witness, how I long for †you all with the affection³ of Christ Jesus. •9And this [is what] I pray, that †your love may keep abounding still more and more, with knowledge and all perception, •10in order that †you may approve what is excellent, so that †you may be sincere and without stumbling for the day of Christ, •11filled with the fruit of righteousness which [comes] through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

•12Now I want †you to know, brothers, that the things [that happened] to me have resulted rather in progress for the gospel, •13so that it has become apparent among the whole praetorian guard⁴ and to all the rest that my imprisonment [is] in Christ; •14and most of the brothers have in the Lord gained confidence through my imprisonment, and are daring even more to speak the word⁵ without fear.

•15Some indeed preach Christ because of envy and strife, but also some because of good will. •16The [latter do it] out of love, knowing that I am put [here] for the defense of the gospel; •17the [former] proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not purely [motivated], supposing to raise up

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affliction [for me] in my imprisonment.⁶ •18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.

[And not only so], but also I shall rejoice. •19For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance⁷ through †your petition [to God] and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, •20in accordance with my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but [that] with all boldness as always, [so] also now, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death. •21For to me to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain. •22But if to go on living in the flesh, [if] this [means] fruit for me from [my] work, then⁸ which I shall prefer I do not know.⁹ •23But I am hard pressed between the two. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ, for [that is] much better by far. •24But to remain in the flesh [is] more necessary on †your account. •25And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with †you all, for †your progress and joy in the faith, •26so that †your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound in me, through my presence with †you again.

•27Only keep conducting [†yourselves] in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see †you or am absent, I may hear about †you that †you are standing [firm] in one spirit, with one soul striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, •28and not frightened in anything by [†your] opponents. This is an omen to them of [their] destruction, but of †your salvation, and this from God. •29For it has been granted to †you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf, •30engaged in the same struggle which †you saw in me and now hear [to be] in me.

2•1Therefore if [there is] any encouragement in Christ, if any incentive of love, if any fellowship in the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, •2make my joy full by thinking the same thing, having the same love, [being] harmonious, thinking [with] one [purpose].¹⁰

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•3[Do] nothing from selfish ambition or from vain conceit, but in humility [be] considering one another better than †yourselves. •4Each [of †you] must look not [only] to his [own interests], but also each to the [interests] of others. •5Keep having this attitude among †yourselves, which [was] also in Christ Jesus, •6who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a thing to be clung to, •7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. •8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. •9That is why also God highly exalted him and gave him the name which is above every name, •10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, •11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

•12So, my beloved, just as †you have always obeyed, not only as² in my presence but now much more in my absence, keep working out †your [own] salvation with fear and trembling; •13for God is the One working in †you, both to will and to work for [his] good pleasure. •14Keep doing all things without grumbling or arguments, •15so that †you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom †you shine as lights in the world, •16holding tight the word of life, in order that I may have something to boast of in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. •17But even if I am poured as a drink-offering on the sacrifice and ministry of †your faith, I am rejoicing, and am rejoicing with †you all. •18And in the same way †you also must keep rejoicing, and keep rejoicing with me.

•19Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to †you soon, so that I may be cheered when I know the [news] about †you. •20For I have no one like-minded [as he], who will be genuinely concerned about †your [welfare]. •21For they are all seeking their [own interests], not those of Jesus Christ. •22But †you know his approved character, that as a child with a father he has served with me in the gospel. •23I hope therefore to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me; •24and I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come soon.

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•25But I have considered it necessary to send to †you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and †your representative³ and minister to my need, •26since he has been longing for⁴ †you all, and has been troubled because †you heard that he was sick. •27For indeed he was sick, coming close to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow on sorrow. •28Therefore I have sent him the more eagerly, so that †you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less sorrowful. •29Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy; and hold such ones in honor, •30because on account of the work of Christ⁵ he came near to death, risking [his] life so that he might make up for what was lacking in †your ministry to me.

3•1Finally, my brothers, keep rejoicing in the Lord. To keep writing the same things to †you [is] not troublesome to me, and [is] safe for †you.

•2Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil-workers, look out for the incision [party]. •3For we are the [true] circumcision, who serve by the Spirit of God,¹ and boast in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. •4Though I also have [reason for] confidence in the flesh. If any other [person] thinks [he has reason] to put confidence in the flesh, I [have] more: •5circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew [born] of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee, •6as to zeal, persecuting the church, as to righteousness that is in the law, being blameless. •7But whatever was gain to me, I have considered these [as] loss because of Christ. •8But more than that I also consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them manure,² so that I may gain Christ •9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my [own], which [comes] from law, but that which [is] through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God [that depends] on faith; •10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the

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fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, •11[that] if possible I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

•12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I keep pressing on [to see] whether indeed I might take hold of [it], because I was also taken hold of by Christ Jesus.³ •13Brothers, I do not⁴ reckon myself to have taken hold of [it]; but one thing [I do], forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, •14I keep pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. •15Therefore let as many of us as [are] mature keep thinking this; and if †you are thinking anything differently, God will reveal this also to †you. •16However, let us keep staying in line with that to which we have attained.

•17Brothers, keep being fellow-imitators of me, and keep noticing those who are so walking as †you have an example in us. •18For many, of whom I have often told †you and now tell †you even as I weep, are walking as enemies of the cross of Christ. •19Their end [is] destruction, their god [is] the stomach, and [their] glory [is] in their shame, and they think about earthly things. •20For our citizenship⁵ is in heaven, from which we are also waiting for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, •21who will refashion our lowly body [to be] conformed to his glorious body, in accordance with the working of his ability even to subject all things to himself.

4•1So, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, keep standing [firm] like this in the Lord, [my] beloved.

•2I exhort Euodia and I exhort Syntyche to agree in their thinking¹ in the Lord. •3Yes, I ask you also, [my] genuine yokefellow, be helping them. They have striven side by side with me in the gospel together also with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers,² whose names [are] in the book of life.

•4Keep rejoicing in the Lord always; again I will say, keep rejoicing. •5†Your gentleness must be known to all men. The Lord [is] near. •6Do not be worrying about anything, but in everything

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by prayer and petition with thanksgiving keep letting †your requests be made known to God. •7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard †your hearts and †your minds in Christ Jesus.

•8Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever [are] dignified, whatever [are] just, whatever [are] pure, whatever [are] lovely, whatever [are] well-spoken of, if [there is] any virtue, and if [there is] anything [worthy of] praise, keep thinking about these things. •9What †you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, keep practicing these things; and the God of peace will be with †you.

•10Now I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last †you have revived †your concern for me; indeed †you were concerned for me, but †you had no opportunity. •11Not that I am saying [this] because of [what I] lack; for I have learned, in whatever [state] I am, to be content. •12I know both [how] to humble [myself], and I know [how] to abound; in everything and in all things I have been initiated [into the secret] of both [how] to be full and [how] to be hungry, both [how] to abound and [how] to lack. •13I can do all things in the One³ who strengthens me.

•14However, †you did well by having fellowship [with me] in my affliction. •15And †you Philippians also know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving except †you only; •16because even in Thessalonica †you sent [money] for my need⁴ both once and again. •17Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the fruit which increases to †your account. •18Now I have received [payment] for everything in full, and have in abundance; I have been filled, having received from Epaphroditus the [gifts] from †you, a fragrant aroma, a sacrifice acceptable [and] pleasing to God. •19And my God will fill every need of †yours in accordance with his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. •20Now to our God and Father [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen.

•21Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet †you. •22All the saints greet †you, and especially those of Caesar's household.

•23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ [be] with †your spirit.⁵