English Standard Version ESV
New Living Translation NLT
1 Finally, my brothers,rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
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Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
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Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh--
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For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,
4 though 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:
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though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
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I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
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I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
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I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.
8 Indeed, 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
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Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
9 and 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--
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and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
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I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
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so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
12 Not 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.
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I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
13 Brothers, 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,
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No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
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I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
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Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.
16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
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But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
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Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.
18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
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For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
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They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
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But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
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He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.