New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy,
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If then there is any comfort in Christ, any help given by love, any uniting of hearts in the Spirit, any loving mercies and pity,
2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
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Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in harmony and of one mind;
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
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Doing nothing through envy or through pride, but with low thoughts of self let everyone take others to be better than himself;
4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
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Not looking everyone to his private good, but keeping in mind the things of others.
5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
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Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
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To whom, though himself in the form of God, it did not seem that to take for oneself was to be like God;
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,
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But he made himself as nothing, taking the form of a servant, being made like men;
8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.
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And being seen in form as a man, he took the lowest place, and let himself be put to death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
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For this reason God has put him in the highest place and has given to him the name which is greater than every name;
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
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So that at the name of Jesus every knee may be bent, of those in heaven and those on earth and those in the underworld,
11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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And that every tongue may give witness that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
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So then, my loved ones, as you have at all times done what I say, not only when I am present, but now much more when I am not with you, give yourselves to working out your salvation with fear in your hearts;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
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For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing,
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Do all things without protests and arguments;
15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world.
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So that you may be holy and gentle, children of God without sin in a twisted and foolish generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,
16 It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
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Offering the word of life; so that I may have glory in you in the day of Christ, because my running was not for nothing and my work was not without effect.
17 But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you—
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And even if I am offered like a drink offering, giving myself for the cause and work of your faith, I am glad and have joy with you all:
18 and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.
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And in the same way do you be glad and have a part in my joy.
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you.
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But I am hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may be comforted when I have news of you.
20 I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
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For I have no man of like mind who will truly have care for you.
21 All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
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For they all go after what is theirs, not after the things of Christ.
22 But Timothy's worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.
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But his quality is clear to you; how, as a child is to its father, so he was a help to me in the work of the good news.
23 I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me;
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Him then I am hoping to send as quickly as possible, when I am able to see how things will go for me:
24 and I trust in the Lord that I will also come soon.
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But I have faith in the Lord that I myself will come before long.
25 Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus—my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need;
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But it seemed to me necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, who has taken part with me in the work and in the fight, and your servant, sent by you for help in my need;
26 for he has been longing for all of you, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.
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Because his heart was with you all, and he was greatly troubled because you had news that he was ill:
27 He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
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For in fact he was ill almost to death: but God had mercy on him; and not only on him but on me, so that I might not have grief on grief.
28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.
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I have sent him, then, the more gladly, so that when you see him again, you may be happy and I may have the less sorrow.
29 Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy, and honor such people,
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So take him to your hearts in the Lord with all joy, and give honour to such as he is:
30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.
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Because for the work of Christ he was near to death, putting his life in danger to make your care for me complete.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.