| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. | 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. |
| 2Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. | 2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! |
| 3For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put 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 myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: | 4--though mine too are significant. If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more: |
| 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to 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. |
| 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. | 6In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. |
| 7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. | 7But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. |
| 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order 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 a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on 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 may share his sufferings, becoming like him in 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, |
| 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. | 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. |
| 12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. | 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. |
| 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies 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 on 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. |
| 15Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also 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. |
| 16Only let us hold true to what we have attained. | 16Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have already attained. |
| 17Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. | 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, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as 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. |
| 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. | 19Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things. |
| 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a 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 to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject 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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