1 T herefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

¶ Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of charity, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2 m ake my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same charity, unanimous, minding the one thing.

3 D o nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in humility let each esteem others better than themselves,

4 d o not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

with each one not looking to their own things, but also to the things of others.

5 H ave this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

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

6 w ho, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,

7 b ut emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, made in the likeness of men,

8 B eing found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

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

9 F or this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name,

10 s o that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

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

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

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

12 S o then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

¶ Therefore, my beloved, as ye have always hearkened, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own saving health with fear and trembling.

13 f or it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

14 D o all things without grumbling or disputing;

¶ Do all things without murmurings and doubts,

15 s o that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

that ye may be blameless and innocent, children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world,

16 h olding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

holding fast the word of life, that I may glory in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

17 B ut even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

And even if I am poured out as an offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.

18 Y ou too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Timothy and Epaphroditus

For the same cause ye also have joy and rejoice with me.

19 B ut I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.

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

20 F or I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

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

21 F or they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

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

22 B ut you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.

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

23 T herefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;

Therefore, I hope to send him presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

24 a nd I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.

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

25 B ut I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;

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 needs.

26 b ecause he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

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

27 F or indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

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

28 T herefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.

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

29 R eceive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard;

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and esteem such

30 b ecause he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

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