⁹ And it is my prayer that ^(A)your love may abound more and more, ^(B)with knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may approve what is excellent, ^(C)and so be pure and blameless ^(D)for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled ^(E)with the fruit of righteousness that comes ^(F)through Jesus Christ, ^(G)to the glory and praise of God.

²¹ For to me ^(A)to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²² If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. ^23 (B)I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is ^(C)to depart and ^(D)be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴ But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ^25 (E)Convinced of this, ^(F)I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your ^(G)progress and ^(H)joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that in me ^(I)you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

²⁷ Only ^(J)let your manner of life be ^(K)worthy^[a] of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you ^(L)that you are standing firm in one spirit, with ^(M)one mind ^(N)striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is ^(O)a clear sign to them of their destruction, but ^(P)of your salvation, and that from God. ²⁹ For ^(Q)it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also ^(R)suffer for his sake, ³⁰ engaged in the same ^(S)conflict that ^(T)you saw I had and now hear that I still have.