| International Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a waste of time. | 1You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. |
| 2As you know, we suffered persecution and were mistreated in Philippi. Yet we were encouraged by our God to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. | 2We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. |
| 3For our appeal to you does not spring from deceit, impure motives, or trickery. | 3For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. |
| 4Rather, because we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, we speak as we do, not trying to please people but God, who tests our motives. | 4On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. |
| 5As you know, we did not come with flattering words or with a scheme to make money. God is our witness! | 5You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness. |
| 6We did not seek praise from people—from you or from anyone else— | 6We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. |
| 7even though as apostles of the Messiah we might have made such demands. Instead, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children. | 7Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, |
| 8We cared so deeply for you that we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but our very lives. That is how dear you were to us. | 8so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. |
| 9Brothers, you remember our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not become a burden to any of you while we proclaimed the gospel of God to you. | 9Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. |
| 10You and God are witnesses of how pure, honest, and blameless our conduct was among you who believe. | 10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. |
| 11You know very well that we treated each of you the way a father treats his children. | 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, |
| 12We comforted and encouraged you, urging you to live in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. | 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. |
| 13Here is another reason why we constantly give thanks to God: When you received God's word, which you heard from us, you did not accept it as the word of humans but for what it really is—the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. | 13And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. |
| 14For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in union with the Messiah Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from the people of your own country as they did from those Jews | 14For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews |
| 15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, who have persecuted us, and who please neither God nor any group of people, | 15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone |
| 16as they try to keep us from telling the gentiles how they can be saved. As a result, they are constantly adding to the number of sins they have committed. However, wrath has overtaken them at last! | 16in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last. |
| 17Brothers, although we have been separated from you for a little while—in person but not in heart—we eagerly desire to see you again face to face. | 17But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. |
| 18That is why we wanted to come to you. Certainly I, Paul, wanted to come time and again, but Satan blocked our way. | 18For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan blocked our way. |
| 19After all, who is our hope, joy, or reason for rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? It is you, isn't it? | 19For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? |
| 20Yes, you are our glory and joy! | 20Indeed, you are our glory and joy. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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