| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, | 1Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, |
| 2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. | 2complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. |
| 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. | 3Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. |
| 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. | 4Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. |
| 5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, | 5You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, |
| 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, | 6who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, |
| 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. | 7but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. |
| 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. | 8He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross! |
| 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, | 9As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, |
| 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, | 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will 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. | 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. |
| 12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, | 12So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, |
| 13for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. | 13for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort--for the sake of his good pleasure--is God. |
| 14Do all things without grumbling or disputing, | 14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, |
| 15that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, | 15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world |
| 16holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. | 16by holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. |
| 17Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. | 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you. |
| 18Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. | 18And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me. |
| 19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. | 19Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you. |
| 20For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. | 20For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you. |
| 21For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. | 21Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ. |
| 22But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. | 22But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel. |
| 23I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, | 23So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation, |
| 24and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. | 24though I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you soon. |
| 25I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, | 25But for now I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to me in my need. |
| 26for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. | 26Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill. |
| 27Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. | 27In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. But God showed mercy to him--and not to him only, but also to me--so that I would not have grief on top of grief. |
| 28I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. | 28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you can rejoice and I can be free from anxiety. |
| 29So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, | 29So welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, |
| 30for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. | 30since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me. |
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