| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, | 1Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, |
| 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. | 2complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. |
| 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, | 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. |
| 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. | 4Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. |
| 5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: | 5You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, |
| 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; | 6who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, |
| 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. | 7but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. |
| 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! | 8He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross! |
| 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, | 9As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, |
| 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, | 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow--in heaven and on earth and under the earth-- |
| 11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. | 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. |
| 12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, | 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, |
| 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. | 13for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort--for the sake of his good pleasure--is God. |
| 14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, | 14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, |
| 15so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky | 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 |
| 16as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. | 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. |
| 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. | 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. |
| 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. | 18And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me. |
| 19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. | 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. |
| 20I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. | 20For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you. |
| 21For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. | 21Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ. |
| 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. | 22But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel. |
| 23I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. | 23So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation, |
| 24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. | 24though I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you soon. |
| 25But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. | 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. |
| 26For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. | 26Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill. |
| 27Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. | 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. |
| 28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. | 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. |
| 29So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, | 29So welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, |
| 30because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. | 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. |
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