| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. | 1Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. |
| 2Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! | 2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! |
| 3For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, | 3For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials |
| 4though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: | 4--though mine too are significant. If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more: |
| 5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; | 5I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee. |
| 6concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. | 6In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. |
| 7But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. | 7But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. |
| 8Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ | 8More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things--indeed, I regard them as dung!--that I may gain Christ, |
| 9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; | 9and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ's faithfulness--a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ's faithfulness. |
| 10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, | 10My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, |
| 11if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. | 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. |
| 12Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. | 12Not that I have already attained this--that is, I have not already been perfected--but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. |
| 13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, | 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, |
| 14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. | 14with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. |
| 15Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. | 15Therefore let those of us who are "perfect" embrace this point of view. If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways. |
| 16Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. | 16Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have already attained. |
| 17Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. | 17Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example. |
| 18For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: | 18For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. |
| 19whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. | 19Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things. |
| 20For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, | 20But our citizenship is in heaven--and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, |
| 21who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. | 21who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself. |
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