| New American Standard Bible 1995 | International Standard Version |
| 1For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, | 1For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a waste of time. |
| 2but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. | 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. |
| 3For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; | 3For our appeal to you does not spring from deceit, impure motives, or trickery. |
| 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. | 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. |
| 5For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed-- God is witness-- | 5As you know, we did not come with flattering words or with a scheme to make money. God is our witness! |
| 6nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. | 6We did not seek praise from people—from you or from anyone else— |
| 7But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. | 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. |
| 8Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. | 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. |
| 9For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. | 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. |
| 10You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; | 10You and God are witnesses of how pure, honest, and blameless our conduct was among you who believe. |
| 11just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, | 11You know very well that we treated each of you the way a father treats his children. |
| 12so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. | 12We comforted and encouraged you, urging you to live in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. |
| 13For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. | 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. |
| 14For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, | 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 |
| 15who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, | 15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, who have persecuted us, and who please neither God nor any group of people, |
| 16hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost. | 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! |
| 17But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while-- in person, not in spirit-- were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. | 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. |
| 18For we wanted to come to you-- I, Paul, more than once-- and yet Satan hindered us. | 18That is why we wanted to come to you. Certainly I, Paul, wanted to come time and again, but Satan blocked our way. |
| 19For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? | 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? |
| 20For you are our glory and joy. | 20Yes, you are our glory and joy! |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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