1 F inally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.

For the rest, my brethren, delight yourselves in the Lord and continue to rejoice that you are in Him. To keep writing to you of the same things is not irksome to me, and it is for your safety.

2 B eware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.

Look out for those dogs, look out for those mischief-makers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

3 F or we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

For we are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances—

4 t hough I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:

Though for myself I have to rely on the flesh. If any other man considers that he has or seems to have reason to rely on the flesh and his physical and outward advantages, I have still more!

5 c ircumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

Circumcised when I was eight days old, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the observance of the Law I was of the Pharisees,

6 c oncerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

As to my zeal, I was a persecutor of the church, and by the Law’s standard of righteousness (supposed justice, uprightness, and right standing with God) I was proven to be blameless and no fault was found with me.

7 H owever, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.

But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as '> one combined] loss for Christ’s sake.

8 Y es most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),

9 a nd be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

And that I may be found and known as in Him, not having any righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the right standing with God, which comes from God by faith.

10 t hat I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;

that I may know Him, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection '> which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed to His death,

11 i f by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

That if possible I may attain to the '> spiritual and moral] resurrection out from among the dead.

12 N ot that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

Not that I have now attained, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.

13 B rothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,

I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

15 L et us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.

So let those who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also.

16 N evertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind.

Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.

17 B rothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

Brethren, together follow my example and observe those who live after the pattern we have set for you.

18 F or many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,

For there are many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, who walk (live) as enemies of the cross of Christ (the Anointed One).

19 w hose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

They are doomed and their fate is eternal misery (perdition); their god is their stomach (their appetites, their sensuality) and they glory in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party.

20 F or our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Savior,

21 w ho will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

Who will transform and fashion anew the body of our humiliation to conform to and be like the body of His glory and majesty, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself.