New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
1
My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God.
2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.
2
I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn't want his children holding grudges.
3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
3
And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans - worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the book of life.
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
4
Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!
5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
5
Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
6
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.
7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
7
Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
8
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
9
Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me.
10
I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess - happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it.
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
11
Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances.
12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.
12
I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
13
Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
14 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.
14
I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me - it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.
15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this.
15
You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I'll never forget it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out with the Message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take of this work except you. You were the only one.
16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once.
16
Even while I was in Thessalonica, you helped out - and not only once, but twice.
17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
17
Not that I'm looking for handouts, but I do want you to experience the blessing that issues from generosity.
18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.
18
And now I have it all - and keep getting more! The gifts you sent with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance, pleasing God no end.
19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
19
You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.
20 Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.
20
Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes.
21 Give my greetings to each of God’s holy people—all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings.
21
Give our regards to every Christian you meet. Our friends here say hello.
22 And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household.
22
All the Christians here, especially the believers who work in the palace of Caesar, want to be remembered to you.
23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
23
Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves.
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.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.