1 Julle weet tog self, broeders, dat ons ingang by julle nie tevergeefs was nie;
2 maar alhoewel ons vantevore, soos julle weet, in Fil¡ppi gely het en mishandel is, het ons in onse God vrymoedigheid gehad om aan julle die evangelie van God te verkondig onder veel stryd.
3 Want ons vermaning was nie uit dwaling of uit onsuiwerheid of uit bedrog nie;
4 maar soos ons deur God waardig geag is dat die evangelie aan ons toevertrou sou word, so spreek ons, nie om mense te behaag nie, maar God wat ons harte beproef.
5 Want ons het, soos julle weet, ons nooit met vleitaal opgehou of met bedekte hebsug nie. God is getuie.
6 Ook het ons nie eer van mense, •f van julle •f van ander gesoek nie, al kon ons as apostels van Christus met gesag optree.
7 Maar ons was vriendelik onder julle soos 'n pleegmoeder haar kinders koester.
8 Terwyl ons so na julle verlang het, was dit ons aangenaam om aan julle nie alleen die evangelie van God mee te deel nie, maar ook ons eie lewe, omdat julle vir ons dierbaar geword het.
9 Julle onthou tog, broeders, ons arbeid en inspanning; want terwyl ons nag en dag gewerk het om niemand van julle te beswaar nie, het ons die evangelie van God aan julle verkondig.
10 Julle is getuies, en God, hoe heilig en regverdig en onberispelik ons ons gedra het teenoor julle wat glo,
11 hoe ons, soos julle weet, net soos 'n vader sy kinders, elkeen van julle vermaan en bemoedig het
12 en betuig het dat julle waardiglik moet wandel voor God wat julle tot sy koninkryk en heerlikheid roep.
13 Daarom dank ons God ook sonder ophou dat, toe julle die woord van God ontvang het wat deur ons verkondig is, julle dit aangeneem het nie as die woord van mense nie, maar, soos dit waarlik is, as die woord van God wat ook werk in julle wat glo.
14 Want julle, broeders, het navolgers geword van die gemeentes van God wat in Christus Jesus is in Jud,a, omdat julle ook dieselfde dinge gely het van julle eie stamgenote net soos hulle van die Jode,
15 wat ook die Here Jesus en hulle eie profete gedood en ons vervolg het en God nie behaag nie en teen alle mense gekant is,
16 deurdat hulle ons verhinder om tot die heidene te spreek dat hulle gered kan word, sodat hulle die maat van hulle sondes gedurig vol kan maak. Maar die toorn het oor hulle gekom tot die einde toe.
17 Maar nadat ons, broeders, 'n kort tydjie van julle geskeie was -- in persoon, nie met die hart nie -- het ons met groot verlange ons des te meer beywer om julle aangesig te sien.
18 Daarom wou ons na julle toe kom, ek Paulus, meer as een maal; maar die Satan het ons verhinder.
19 Want wie anders as julle is ons hoop of blydskap of kroon van roem in die teenwoordigheid van onse Here Jesus Christus by sy wederkoms?
20 Want julle is ons eer en blydskap.
1 For you yourselves, brothers, are conscious that our coming among you was not without effect:
2 But after we had first undergone much pain and been cruelly attacked as you saw, at Philippi, by the help of God we gave you the good news without fear, though everything was against us.
3 For our witness does not come from error or from an unclean heart or from deceit:
4 But even as the good news was given to us by the approval of God, so we give it out; not as pleasing men, but God by whom our hearts are tested.
5 For it is common knowledge among you that we never made use of smooth-sounding false words, and God is witness that at no time were we secretly desiring profit for ourselves,
6 Or looking for glory from men, from you or from others, when we might have made ourselves a care to you as Apostles of Christ.
7 But we were gentle among you, like a woman caring for her little ones:
8 Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us.
9 For you have the memory, my brothers, of our trouble and care; how, working night and day, so that we might not be a trouble to any of you, we gave you the good news of God.
10 You are witnesses, with God, how holy and upright and free from all evil was our way of life among you who have faith;
11 Even as you saw how, like a father with his children, we were teaching and comforting you all, and giving witness,
12 So that your lives might be pleasing to God, who has given you a part in his kingdom and his glory.
13 And for this cause we still give praise to God, that, when the word came to your ears through us, you took it, not as the word of man, but, as it truly is, the word of God, which has living power in you who have faith.
14 For you, my brothers, took as your examples the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; because you underwent the same things from your countrymen as they did from the Jews;
15 Who put to death the Lord Jesus and the prophets, violently driving us out; who are unpleasing to God and against all men;
16 Who, to make the measure of their sins complete, kept us from giving the word of salvation to the Gentiles: but the wrath of God is about to come on them in the fullest degree.
17 But we, my brothers, being away from you for a short time, in body but not in heart, had all the more desire to see your face;
18 For which reason we made attempts to come to you, even I, Paul, once and again; but Satan kept us from coming.
19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of glory? Are not even you, before our Lord Jesus, at his coming?
20 For you are our glory and our joy.