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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have this in your mind, 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, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

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 servant, being 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 human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, 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 highly exalted him, and gave to him the 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 those in heaven, those on earth, and those 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 Jesus Christ is Lord, to 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;

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 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 work, for his good pleasure.

14 D o all things without grumbling or disputing;

Do all things without murmurings and disputes,

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 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 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 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 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.

Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, 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

In the same way, you also rejoice, 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 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 F or I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

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

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

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

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 you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

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 at once, as soon as I 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 myself also will 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;

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

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

since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was 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, 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 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 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 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 joy, and hold such in honor,

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 Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.