| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, | 1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, |
| 2complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. | 2fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. |
| 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. | 3Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. |
| 4Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. | 4Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. |
| 5You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, | 5Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, |
| 6who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, | 6who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. |
| 7but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. | 7Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, |
| 8He 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 to death on a cross. |
| 9As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, | 9For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, |
| 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow--in heaven and on earth and under the earth-- | 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow-- of those who are 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 should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. |
| 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, | 12So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. |
| 13for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort--for the sake of his good pleasure--is God. | 13For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. |
| 14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, | 14Do everything without grumbling and arguing, |
| 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 | 15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. |
| 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. | 16Hold firmly to the message of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn't run or labor for nothing. |
| 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. | 17But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. |
| 18And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me. | 18In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me. |
| 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. | 19Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I also may be encouraged when I hear news about you. |
| 20For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you. | 20For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; |
| 21Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ. | 21all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. |
| 22But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel. | 22But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. |
| 23So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation, | 23Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. |
| 24though I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you soon. | 24I am convinced in the Lord that I myself will also come quickly. |
| 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. | 25But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus--my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need-- |
| 26Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill. | 26since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. |
| 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. | 27Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have one grief on top of another. |
| 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. | 28For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice when you see him again and I may be less anxious. |
| 29So welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, | 29Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with all joy and hold men like him in honor, |
| 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. | 30because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me. |
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