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¹ From: Sha'ul and Timothy, slaves of the Messiah Yeshua

To: All God's people united with the Messiah Yeshua and living in Philippi, along with the congregation leaders and shammashim:

² Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

³ I thank my God every time I think of you. ⁴ Whenever I pray for all of you I always pray with joy, ⁵ because you have shared in proclaiming the Good News from the very first day until now. ⁶ And I am sure of this: that the One who began a good work among you will keep it growing until it is completed on the Day of the Messiah Yeshua. ⁷ It is right for me to think this way about you all, because I have you on my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and establishing the Good News, you are all sharing with me in this privileged work. ⁸ God can testify how I long for all of you with the deep affection of the Messiah Yeshua.

⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may more and more overflow in fullness of knowledge and depth of discernment, ¹⁰ so that you will be able to determine what is best and thus be pure and without blame for the Day of the Messiah, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Yeshua the Messiah — to the glory and praise of God.

¹² Now, brothers, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped in advancing the Good News. ¹³ It has become clear to the whole palace and to everyone else that it is because of the Messiah that I am in chains. ¹⁴ Also, my being in prison has given most of the brothers in the Lord confidence, so that they have become much more bold in speaking the word of God fearlessly. ¹⁵ True, some are proclaiming the Messiah out of jealousy and rivalry, but others are doing it in goodwill. ¹⁶ The latter act from love, aware that I am put where I am for defending the Good News; ¹⁷ while the former announce the Messiah out of selfish ambition, with impure motives, supposing they can stir up trouble for me in prison. ¹⁸ But so what? All that matters is that in every way, whether honestly or in pretense, the Messiah is being proclaimed; and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹ for I know that this will work out for my deliverance,^[a] because of your prayers and the support I get from the Spirit of Yeshua the Messiah. ²⁰ It all accords with my earnest expectation and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of; but rather, now, as always, the Messiah will be honored by my body, whether it is alive or dead. ²¹ For to me, life is the Messiah, and death is gain. ²² But if by living on in the body I can do fruitful work, then I don't know which to choose. ²³ I am caught in a dilemma: my desire is to go off and be with the Messiah — that is better by far — ²⁴ but because of you, the greater need is to stay on in the body. ²⁵ Yes, I am convinced of this; so I know I will stay on with you in order to help you progress in the faith and have joy in it. ²⁶ Then, through my being with you again, you will have even greater reason for boasting about the Messiah Yeshua.

²⁷ Only conduct your lives in a way worthy of the Good News of the Messiah; so that whether I come and see you or I hear about you from a distance, you stand firm, united in spirit, fighting with one accord for the faith of the Good News, ²⁸ not frightened by anything the opposition does. This will be for them an indication that they are headed for destruction and you for deliverance. And this is from God; ²⁹ because for the Messiah's sake it has been granted to you not only to trust in him but also to suffer on his behalf, ³⁰ to fight the same battles you once saw me fight and now hear that I am still fighting.