1 Paulus en Timothes, diensknegte van Jesus Christus, aan al die heiliges in Christus Jesus wat in Fil¡ppi is, saam met die opsieners en diakens:

2 Genade vir julle en vrede van God onse Vader en die Here Jesus Christus!

3 Ek dank my God elke maal as ek aan julle dink --

4 en ek bid altyd in al my gebede vir julle almal met blydskap --

5 oor julle gemeenskap aan die evangelie van die eerste dag af tot nou toe,

6 omdat ek juis hierop vertrou, dat Hy wat 'n goeie werk in julle begin het, dit sal voleindig tot op die dag van Jesus Christus;

7 soos dit vir my reg is om dit van julle almal te dink, omdat ek julle in my hart dra, aangesien julle almal in my boeie sowel as in die verdediging en bevestiging van die evangelie my deelgenote in die genade is.

8 Want God is my getuie hoe ek na julle almal verlang met die innige tederheid van Jesus Christus.

9 En dit bid ek dat julle liefde nog meer en meer oorvloedig mag word in kennis en alle ervaring,

10 om die dinge waar dit op aankom, te onderskei, sodat julle rein en vir niemand 'n aanstoot mag wees nie, tot op die dag van Christus,

11 vervul met die vrug van geregtigheid wat daar is deur Jesus Christus tot heerlikheid en lof van God.

12 En ek wil hê dat julle moet weet, broeders, dat wat my wedervaar het, eerder op bevordering van die evangelie uitgeloop het,

13 sodat my boeie openbaar geword het in Christus onder die hele keiserlike lyfwag en by al die ander,

14 en die meeste van die broeders wat in die Here deur my boeie vertroue gekry het, dit des te meer waag om die woord onbevrees te spreek.

15 Sommige preek Christus wel ook uit afguns en twis, maar ander ook uit welwillendheid:

16 die eerste verkondig Christus uit naywer, nie met suiwer bedoelinge nie, met die mening om aan my boeie verdrukking toe te voeg;

17 maar die ander uit liefde, omdat hulle weet dat ek bestem is tot die verdediging van die evangelie.

18 Maar wat maak dit? In alle geval, op allerlei wyse, of dit onder 'n skyn of in waarheid is, word Christus verkondig; en hierin verbly ek my en sal ek my ook verbly.

19 Want ek weet dat dit deur julle gebed en die ondersteuning van die Gees van Jesus Christus my tot heil sal strek,

20 volgens my reikhalsende verwagting en hoop dat ek in niks beskaam sal word nie; maar dat Christus met alle vrymoedigheid, soos altyd so ook nou, groot gemaak sal word in my liggaam, of dit deur die lewe of deur die dood is.

21 Want vir my is die lewe Christus en die sterwe wins.

22 Maar as ek in die vlees moet lewe, dan beteken dit vir my vrugbare arbeid; en wat ek sal kies, weet ek nie.

23 Want ek word van weerskante gedring: ek het verlange om heen te gaan en met Christus te wees, want dit is verreweg die beste;

24 maar om in die vlees te bly, is nodiger om julle ontwil.

25 En dit vertrou en weet ek dat ek sal bly, ja, saam met julle almal sal bly tot julle bevordering en blydskap in die geloof,

26 sodat julle roem oor my oorvloedig kan wees in Christus Jesus deur my teenwoordigheid weer by julle.

27 Alleenlik, gedra julle waardig die evangelie van Christus, sodat, of ek kom en julle sien dan wel of ek afwesig is, ek van julle omstandighede kan hoor dat julle in een gees vasstaan en, een van siel, saam stry vir die geloof van die evangelie,

28 en dat julle jul in geen opsig laat afskrik deur die teëstanders nie. Dit is vir hulle wel 'n bewys van verderf, maar vir julle van redding, en dit van God;

29 omdat dit aan julle ter wille van Christus genadiglik gegee is om nie alleen in Hom te glo nie, maar ook vir Hom te ly,

30 terwyl julle dieselfde stryd het as wat julle in my gesien het en nou van my hoor.

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons of the church:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I give praise to my God at every memory of you,

4 And in all my prayers for you all, making my request with joy,

5 Because of your help in giving the good news from the first day till now;

6 For I am certain of this very thing, that he by whom the good work was started in you will make it complete till the day of Jesus Christ:

7 So it is right for me to take thought for you all in this way, because I have you in my heart; for in my chains, and in my arguments before the judges in support of the good news, making clear that it is true, you all have your part with me in grace.

8 For God is my witness, how my love goes out to you all in the loving mercies of Christ Jesus.

9 And my prayer is that you may be increased more and more in knowledge and experience;

10 So that you may give your approval to the best things; that you may be true and without wrongdoing till the day of Christ;

11 Being full of the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

12 Now it is my purpose to make clear to you, brothers, that the cause of the good news has been helped by my experiences;

13 So that it became clear through all the Praetorium, and to all the rest, that I was a prisoner on account of Christ;

14 And most of the brothers in the Lord, taking heart because of my chains, are all the stronger to give the word of God without fear.

15 Though some are preaching Christ out of envy and competition, others do it out of a good heart:

16 These do it from love, conscious that I am responsible for the cause of the good news:

17 But those are preaching Christ in a spirit of competition, not from their hearts, but with the purpose of giving me pain in my prison.

18 What then? only that in every way, falsely or truly, the preaching of Christ goes on; and in this I am glad, and will be glad.

19 For I am conscious that this will be for my salvation, through your prayer and the giving out of the stored wealth of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 In the measure of my strong hope and belief that in nothing will I be put to shame, but that without fear, as at all times, so now will Christ have glory in my body, by life or by death.

21 For to me life is Christ and death is profit.

22 But if I go on living in the flesh--if this is the fruit of my work--then I do not see what decision to make.

23 I am in a hard position between the two, having a desire to go away and be with Christ, which is very much better:

24 Still, to go on in the flesh is more necessary because of you.

25 And being certain of this, I am conscious that I will go on, yes, and go on with you all, for your growth and joy in the faith;

26 So that your pride in me may be increased in Christ Jesus through my being present with you again.

27 Only let your behaviour do credit to the good news of Christ, so that if I come and see you or if I am away from you, I may have news of you that you are strong in one spirit, working together with one soul for the faith of the good news;

28 Having no fear of those who are against you; which is a clear sign of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God;

29 Because to you it has been given in the cause of Christ not only to have faith in him, but to undergo pain on his account:

30 Fighting the same fight which you saw in me, and now have word of in me.