Si qua ergo consolatio in Christo, si quod solatium caritatis, si qua societas spiritus, si qua viscera miserationis:

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of charity, if any society of the spirit, if any bowels of commiseration:

If anything is meant by encouragement in Christ, by loving sympathy, by common fellowship in the spirit, by feelings of tenderness and pity,

implete gaudium meum ut idem sapiatis, eamdem caritatem habentes, unanimes, idipsum sentientes,

Fulfil ye my joy, that you be of one mind, having the same charity, being of one accord, agreeing in sentiment.

fill up my cup of happiness by thinking with the same mind, cherishing the same bond of charity, soul knit to soul in a common unity of thought.

nihil per contentionem, neque per inanem gloriam: sed in humilitate superiores sibi invicem arbitrantes,

Let nothing be done through contention, neither by vain glory: but in humility, let each esteem others better than themselves:

You must never act in a spirit of factiousness, or of ambition; each of you must have the humility to think others better men than himself,

non quæ sua sunt singuli considerantes, sed ea quæ aliorum.

Each one not considering the things that are his own, but those that are other men’s.

and study the welfare of others, not his own.

Hoc enim sentite in vobis, quod et in Christo Jesu:

For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Yours is to be the same mind which Christ Jesus shewed.

qui cum in forma Dei esset, non rapinam arbitratus est esse se æqualem Deo:

Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

His nature is, from the first, divine, and yet he did not see, in the rank of Godhead, a prize to be coveted;

sed semetipsum exinanivit, formam servi accipiens, in similitudinem hominum factus, et habitu inventus ut homo.

But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.

he dispossessed himself, and took the nature of a slave, fashioned in the likeness of men, and presenting himself to us in human form;

Humiliavit semetipsum factus obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.

He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.

and then he lowered his own dignity, accepted an obedience which brought him to death, death on a cross.

Propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum, et donavit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen:

For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names:

That is why God has raised him to such a height, given him that name which is greater than any other name;

ut in nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur cælestium, terrestrium et infernorum,

That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth:

so that everything in heaven and on earth and under the earth must bend the knee before the name of Jesus,

et omnis lingua confiteatur, quia Dominus Jesus Christus in gloria est Dei Patris.

And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.

and every tongue must confess Jesus Christ as the Lord, dwelling in the glory of God the Father.

Itaque carissimi mei (sicut semper obedistis), non ut in præsentia mei tantum, sed multo magis nunc in absentia mea, cum metu et tremore vestram salutem operamini.

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,) with fear and trembling work out your salvation.

Beloved, you have always shewn yourselves obedient; and now that I am at a distance, not less but much more than when I am present, you must work to earn your salvation, in anxious fear.

Deus est enim, qui operatur in vobis et velle, et perficere pro bona voluntate.

For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will.

Both the will to do it and the accomplishment of that will are something which God accomplishes in you, to carry out his loving purpose.

Omnia autem facite sine murmurationibus et hæsitationibus:

And do ye all things without murmurings and hesitations;

Do all that lies in you, never complaining, never hesitating,

ut sitis sine querela, et simplices filii Dei, sine reprehensione in medio nationis pravæ et perversæ: inter quos lucetis sicut luminaria in mundo,

That you may be blameless, and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom you shine as lights in the world.

to shew yourselves innocent and single-minded, God’s children, bringing no reproach on his name. You live in an age that is twisted out of its true pattern, and among such people you shine out, beacons to the world,

verbum vitæ continentes ad gloriam meam in die Christi, quia non in vacuum cucurri, neque in vacuum laboravi.

Holding forth the word of life to my glory in the day of Christ, because I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.

upholding the message of life. Thus, when the day of Christ comes, I shall be able to boast of a life not spent in vain, of labours not vainly undergone.

Sed et si immolor supra sacrificium, et obsequium fidei vestræ, gaudeo, et congratulor omnibus vobis.

Yea, and if I be made a victim upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and congratulate with you all.

Meanwhile, though your faith should prove to be a sacrifice which cannot be duly made without my blood for its drink-offering, I congratulate myself and all of you over that;

Idipsum autem et vos gaudete, et congratulamini mihi.

And for the selfsame thing do you also rejoice, and congratulate with me.

on your side, you too must congratulate yourselves and me.

Spero autem in Domino Jesu, Timotheum me cito mittere ad vos: ut et ego bono animo sim, cognitis quæ circa vos sunt.

And I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy unto you shortly, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know the things concerning you.

It is my hope in the Lord Jesus that I shall be sending Timothy to visit you before long; then I shall be able to refresh myself with news of you;

Neminem enim habeo tam unanimem, qui sincera affectione pro vobis sollicitus sit.

For I have no man so of the same mind, who with sincere affection is solicitous for you.

I have no one else here who shares my thoughts as he does, no one who will concern himself so unaffectedly with your affairs;

Omnes enim quæ sua sunt quærunt, non quæ sunt Jesu Christi.

For all seek the things that are their own; not the things that are Jesus Christ’s.

one and all have their own interest at heart, not Christ’s;

Experimentum autem ejus cognoscite, quia sicut patri filius, mecum servivit in Evangelio.

Now know ye the proof of him, that as a son with the father, so hath he served with me in the gospel.

his worth is well tried, you must know that he has shared my task of preaching the gospel like a son helping his father.

Hunc igitur spero me mittere ad vos, mox ut videro quæ circa me sunt.

Him therefore I hope to send unto you immediately, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

Him, then, I hope to send without delay, when I have had time to see how I stand;

Confido autem in Domino quoniam et ipse veniam ad vos cito.

And I trust in the Lord, that I myself also shall come to you shortly.

and I am persuaded in the Lord that I myself shall be coming to you before long.

Necessarium autem existimavi Epaphroditum fratrem, et cooperatorem, et commilitonem meum, vestrum autem apostolum, et ministrum necessitatis meæ, mittere ad vos:

But I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow labourer, and fellow soldier, but your apostle, and he that hath ministered to my wants.

Meanwhile, here is Epaphroditus, my brother, my companion in so many labours and battles, your own delegate, who has provided for my needs. I felt that I must send him to you,

quoniam quidem omnes vos desiderabat: et mœstus erat, propterea quod audieratis illum infirmatum.

For indeed he longed after you all: and was sad, for that you had heard that he was sick.

so great was his longing to see you, and his distress that you should have heard about his illness.

Nam et infirmatus est usque ad mortem: sed Deus misertus est ejus: non solum autem ejus, verum etiam et mei, ne tristitiam super tristitiam haberem.

For indeed he was sick, nigh unto death; but God had mercy on him; and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Ill he certainly was, and in near danger of death; but God had pity on him, and not only on him but on me too; he would not let me have anxiety added to anxiety.

Festinantius ergo misi illum, ut viso eo iterum gaudeatis, et ego sine tristitia sim.

Therefore I sent him the more speedily: that seeing him again, you may rejoice, and I may be without sorrow.

So I am hastening to send him back to you; it will be a happiness for you to see him again, and I shall be anxious no longer.

Excipite itaque illum cum omni gaudio in Domino, et ejusmodi cum honore habetote;

Receive him therefore with all joy in the Lord; and treat with honour such as he is.

Welcome him, then, in the Lord gladly, and do honour to such a man as he is;

quoniam propter opus Christi usque ad mortem accessit, tradens animam suam ut impleret id quod ex vobis deerat erga meum obsequium.

Because for the work of Christ he came to the point of death: delivering his life, that he might fulfil that which on your part was wanting towards my service.

one who came close to death’s door on Christ’s errand, risking life itself to do me that kindness, which was all your kindness left to be desired.