The King of Glory

A Psalm of David.

4 Therefore, my brothers,^[a] whom I love and ^(A)long for, ^(B)my joy and ^(C)crown, ^(D)stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Exhortation, Encouragement, and Prayer

² I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to ^(E)agree in the Lord. ³ Yes, I ask you also, true companion,^[b] help these women, who have labored^[c] side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, ^(F)whose names are in the book of life.

^4 (G)Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness^[d] be known to everyone. ^(H)The Lord is at hand; ^6 (I)do not be anxious about anything, ^(J)but in everything by prayer and supplication ^(K)with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And ^(L)the peace of God, ^(M)which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned^[e] and ^(N)received and heard and seen ^(O)in me—practice these things, and ^(P)the God of peace will be with you.

God's Provision

¹⁰ I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length ^(Q)you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be ^(R)content. ¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and ^(S)hunger, abundance and ^(T)need. ¹³ I can do all things ^(U)through him who strengthens me.

¹⁴ Yet it was kind of you ^(V)to share^[f] my trouble. ¹⁵ And you Philippians yourselves know that ^(W)in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, ^(X)no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. ¹⁶ Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. ^17 (Y)Not that I seek the gift, but I seek ^(Z)the fruit that increases to your credit.^{[g] 18} I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, ^(AA)having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, ^(AB)a fragrant offering, ^(AC)a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God ^(AD)will supply every need of yours ^(AE)according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ²⁰ To ^(AF)our God and Father be ^(AG)glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

²¹ Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. ^(AH)The brothers who are with me greet you. ^22 (AI)All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.

^23 (AJ)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Unity in the Body of Christ

4 I therefore, ^(A)a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to ^(B)walk in a manner worthy of ^(C)the calling to which you have been called, ² with all ^(D)humility and ^(E)gentleness, with ^(F)patience, ^(G)bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in ^(H)the bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(I)one body and ^(J)one Spirit—just as you were called to the one ^(K)hope that belongs to your call— ^5 (L)one Lord, ^(M)one faith, ^(N)one baptism, ^6 (O)one God and Father of all, ^(P)who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷ But ^(Q)grace was given ^(R)to each one of us ^(S)according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

⁹ (^(V)In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into ^(W)the lower regions, the earth?^{[b] 10} He who descended is the one who also ^(X)ascended ^(Y)far above all the heavens, that he might ^(Z)fill all things.) ¹¹ And ^(AA)he gave the ^(AB)apostles, the prophets, the ^(AC)evangelists, the ^(AD)shepherds^[c] and teachers,^{[d] 12 (AE)}to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for ^(AF)building up ^(AG)the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to ^(AH)the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, ^(AI)to mature manhood,^[e] to the measure of the stature of ^(AJ)the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, ^(AK)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in ^(AL)deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, ^(AM)speaking the truth in love, we are to ^(AN)grow up in every way into him who is ^(AO)the head, into Christ, ^16 (AP)from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, ^(AQ)when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The New Life

¹⁷ Now this I say and ^(AR)testify in the Lord, ^(AS)that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, ^(AT)in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They ^(AU)are darkened in their understanding, ^(AV)alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to ^(AW)their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They ^(AX)have become callous and ^(AY)have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰ But that is not the way you ^(AZ)learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that ^(BA)you have heard about him and ^(BB)were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to ^(BC)put off ^(BD)your old self,^[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through ^(BE)deceitful desires, ²³ and ^(BF)to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on ^(BG)the new self, ^(BH)created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you ^(BI)speak the truth with his neighbor, for ^(BJ)we are members one of another. ^26 (BK)Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and ^(BL)give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather ^(BM)let him labor, ^(BN)doing honest work with his own hands, so ^(BO)that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ^29 (BP)Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give ^(BQ)grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And ^(BR)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^(BS)by whom you were sealed for the day of ^(BT)redemption. ^31 (BU)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ^32 (BV)Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(BW)forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Pray for Us

3 Finally, brothers,^{[a] (A)}pray for us, that ^(B)the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored,^[b] as happened among you, ² and ^(C)that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For ^(D)not all have faith. ³ But ^(E)the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and ^(F)guard you against ^(G)the evil one.^{[c] 4} And ^(H)we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. ⁵ May the Lord ^(I)direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Warning Against Idleness

⁶ Now we command you, brothers, ^(J)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(K)that you keep away from any ^(L)brother ^(M)who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know ^(N)how you ought to imitate us, because ^(O)we were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but ^(P)with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ It was ^(Q)not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves ^(R)an example to imitate. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: ^(S)If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. ¹¹ For we hear that some among you ^(T)walk in idleness, not busy at work, but ^(U)busybodies. ¹² Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.^[d]

¹³ As for you, brothers, ^(V)do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴ If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and ^(W)have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. ^15 (X)Do not regard him as an enemy, but ^(Y)warn him as a brother.

Benediction

¹⁶ Now may ^(Z)the Lord of peace himself ^(AA)give you peace at all times in every way. ^(AB)The Lord be with you all.

¹⁷ I, Paul, write ^(AC)this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. ^18 (AD)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

A Life Pleasing to God

4 Finally, then, brothers,^[a] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you ^(A)received from us ^(B)how you ought to walk and ^(C)to please God, just as you are doing, that you ^(D)do so more and more. ² For ^(E)you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, ^(F)your sanctification:^{[b] (G)}that you abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each one of you know how to control his own ^(H)body^[c] in holiness and ^(I)honor, ⁵ not in ^(J)the passion of lust ^(K)like the Gentiles ^(L)who do not know God; ⁶ that no one transgress and ^(M)wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is ^(N)an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. ⁷ For ^(O)God has not called us for ^(P)impurity, but in holiness. ⁸ Therefore ^(Q)whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, ^(R)who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

⁹ Now concerning ^(S)brotherly love ^(T)you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been ^(U)taught by God ^(V)to love one another, ¹⁰ for that indeed is what ^(W)you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to ^(X)do this more and more, ¹¹ and to aspire ^(Y)to live quietly, and ^(Z)to mind your own affairs, and ^(AA)to work with your hands, as we instructed you, ¹² so that you may ^(AB)walk properly before ^(AC)outsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^(AD)that you may not grieve as others do ^(AE)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(AF)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(AG)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(AH)by a word from the Lord,^[d] that ^(AI)we who are alive, who are left until ^(AJ)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(AK)the Lord himself will descend ^(AL)from heaven ^(AM)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(AN)an archangel, and ^(AO)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(AP)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(AQ)caught up together with them ^(AR)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(AS)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Bear One Another's Burdens

6 Brothers,^{[a] (A)}if anyone is caught in any transgression, ^(B)you who are spiritual should restore him in ^(C)a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ^2 (D)Bear one another's burdens, and ^(E)so fulfill ^(F)the law of Christ. ³ For ^(G)if anyone thinks he is something, ^(H)when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one ^(I)test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For ^(J)each will have to bear his own load.

^6 (K)Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ^7 (L)Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^(M)whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For ^(N)the one who sows to his own flesh ^(O)will from the flesh reap corruption, but ^(P)the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And ^(Q)let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, ^(R)if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, ^(S)as we have opportunity, let us ^(T)do good to everyone, and especially to those who are ^(U)of the household of faith.

Final Warning and Benediction

¹¹ See with what large letters I am writing to you ^(V)with my own hand. ^12 (W)It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh ^(X)who would force you to be circumcised, and only ^(Y)in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast ^(Z)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which^[b] the world ^(AA)has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For ^(AB)neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but ^(AC)a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, ^(AD)peace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^(AE)the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

^18 (AF)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^(AG)with your spirit, brothers. Amen.