Philippians 1:22

Easy-to-Read Version

If I continue living here on earth, I will be able to work for the Lord. But what would I choose—to live or to die? I don't know.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose.

King James Version (1611)
But if I liue in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shal chuse, I wote not.

King James Version
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

English Standard Version
If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

New American Standard Bible
But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.

New Century Version
If I continue living in my body, I will be able to work for the Lord. I do not know what to choose—living or dying.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.

Legacy Standard Bible
But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know what I will choose.

Berean Standard Bible
But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know.

Contemporary English Version
I don't know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful.

Complete Jewish Bible
But if by living on in the body I can do fruitful work, then I don't know which to choose.

Darby Translation
but if to live in flesh [is my lot], this is for me worth the while: and what I shall choose I cannot tell.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And whether to liue in the flesh were profitable for me, and what to chuse I knowe not.

George Lamsa Translation
Even if, in this life of the flesh, my labors bear fruits, I do not know what to choose.

Good News Translation
But if by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose.

Lexham English Bible
But if it is to live in the flesh, this is fruitful work for me, and which I will prefer I do not know.

Literal Translation
But if I live in the flesh, this to me is fruit of my labor, and what I shall choose I do not know.

Amplified Bible
If, however, it is to be life here and I am to go on living, this will mean useful and productive service for me; so I do not know which to choose [if I am given that choice].

American Standard Version
But if to live in the flesh,—if this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I know not.

Bible in Basic English
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.

Hebrew Names Version
But if to live in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; then I don't make known what I will choose.

International Standard Version
Now if I go on living in this body, that will produce more results,that to me is fruitful labor">[fn] yet I do not know which I would prefer.

Etheridge Translation
But if in this life of the flesh there be also fruit to me from my works, I know not what to choose.

Murdock Translation
But if I have fruits of my labors in this life of the flesh, I know not what I shall choose.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But if I lyue in the fleshe, this (is) the fruite of my labour, and what I shall chose, I wote not.

English Revised Version
But if to live in the flesh,—if this is the fruit of my work, then what I shall choose I wot not.

World English Bible
But if to live in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; then I don't make known what I will choose.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But if I am to live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour, and what I should chuse, I know not.

Weymouth's New Testament
But since to live means a longer stay on earth, that implies more labour for me--and not unsuccessful labour; and which I am to choose I cannot tell.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
That if to lyue in fleisch, is fruyt of werk to me, lo! what Y schal chese, Y knowe not.

Update Bible Version
But if to live in the flesh, -[if] this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I don't know.

Webster's Bible Translation
But if I live in the flesh, this [is] the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I know not.

New English Translation
Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me, yet I don't know which I prefer:

New King James Version
But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.

New Living Translation
But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don't know which is better.

New Life Bible
If I keep on living here in this body, it means that I can lead more people to Christ. I do not know which is better.

New Revised Standard
If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, if living in flesh, is Christ , this, unto me, is a fruit of work, - and, what I shall choose, I make not known:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if to live in the flesh: this is to me the fruit of labour. And what I shall choose I know not.

Revised Standard Version
If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Yf it chaunce me to live in the flesshe that is to me frutefull forto worke and what to chose I wote not.

Young's Literal Translation
And if to live in the flesh [is] to me a fruit of work, then what shall I choose? I know not;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But in as moch as to lyue in ye flesh is frutefull to me for the worke, I wote not what

Mace New Testament (1729)
whether it be an advantage to me or not still to lead this mortal life, what to chuse I cannot tell.

THE MESSAGE
As long as I'm alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I'd choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better. But most days, because of what you are going through, I am sure that it's better for me to stick it out here. So I plan to be around awhile, companion to you as your growth and joy in this life of trusting God continues. You can start looking forward to a great reunion when I come visit you again. We'll be praising Christ, enjoying each other.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If I live, I'll keep riding and gathering every single day. Come to think of it, I want both of these! I want to ride for Jesus and be with him. Which one should I choose?

Contextual Overview

²¹ To me, the only important thing about living is Christ. And even death would be for my benefit. ²² If I continue living here on earth, I will be able to work for the Lord. But what would I choose—to live or to die? I don't know. ²³ It would be a hard choice. Sometimes I want to leave this life and be with Christ. That would be much better for me; ²⁴ however, you people need me here alive. ²⁵ I am sure of this, so I know that I will stay here and be with you to help you grow and have joy in your faith. ²⁶ When I am there with you again, you will be bursting with pride over what Christ Jesus did to help me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

live: Philippians 1:24, 2 Corinthians 10:3, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 2:1, 1 Peter 4:2

this: Psalms 71:18, Isaiah 38:18, Isaiah 38:19

I wot: Genesis 21:26, Genesis 39:8, Exodus 32:1, Acts 3:17, Romans 11:2

Reciprocal: 2 Corinthians 12:2 - in the 1 Thessalonians 2:17 - endeavoured

Cross-References

Genesis 1:13
There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the third day.

Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky. These lights will separate the days from the nights. They will be used for signs to show when special meetings begin and to show the days and years.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 8:17
Bring every living animal out of the boat with you—all the birds, animals, and everything that crawls on the earth. These animals will make many more animals, and they will fill the earth again."

Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth with your people.

Genesis 30:27
Laban said to him, "Please, let me say something. I know that the Lord has blessed me because of you.

Genesis 30:30
When I came, you had little. Now you have much, much more. Every time I did something for you, the Lord blessed you. Now it is time for me to work for myself—it is time to do things for my family."

Genesis 35:11
God said to him, "I am God All-Powerful, and I give you this blessing: Have many children and grow into a great nation. Other nations and other kings will come out of you.

Leviticus 26:9
"Then I will turn to you. I will let you have many children. I will keep my agreement with you.

Job 40:15
"Look at the behemoth. I made the behemoth, and I made you. He eats grass like a cow.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But if I live in the flesh,.... To be in the flesh sometimes signifies to be in a state of nature and unregeneracy, and to live in and after the flesh, to live according to the dictates of corrupt nature; but here it signifies living in the body, or the life which is in the flesh, as the Syriac version renders the phrase here, and as the apostle expresses it in Galatians 2:20, and the sense is, if I should live any longer in the body, and be continued for some time in this world:

this [is] the fruit of my labour; or "I have fruit in my works", as the above version renders it:

yet what I shall choose I wot not, or "know not"; whether life or death; since my life will be for the honour and glory of Christ, and though a toilsome and laborious one, yet useful and fruitful: by his "labour", he means his ministerial work and service; the ministry is a work, a good and honourable work, and a laborious one. Christ's faithful ministers are labourers; they labour in the word and doctrine, both in studying and preaching it; and such a labourer was the apostle, who by the grace of God laboured more abundantly than others; the "fruit" of which was the conversion of many sinners, the edification, comfort, and establishment of the saints, their fruitfulness in grace and works, the spread of the Gospel far and near, the enlargement of the kingdom of Christ, and the weakening of Satan's kingdom, and the glorifying of Christ in his person, offices, and great salvation; all which was a strong and swaying argument with him, to desire to live longer in the body, and made it on the one hand so difficult with him what to choose: for as a certain Jew b says,

"the righteous man desires to live to do the will of God while he lives;''

but not with that view, he adds,

"to increase the reward of the soul in the world to come.''

b Kimchi in Psal. vi. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But if I live in the flesh - If I continue to live; if I am not condemned and make a martyr at my approaching trial.

This is the fruit of my labour - The meaning of this passage, which has given much perplexity to commentators, it seems to me is, “If I live in the flesh, it will cost me labor; it will be attended, as it has been, with much effort and anxious care, and I know not which to prefer - whether to remain on the earth with these cares and the hope of doing good, or to go at once to a world of rest.” A more literal version of the Greek will show that this is the meaning. Τοῦτό μοι καρπὸς ἔργου Touto moi karpos ergou - “this to me is (or would be) the fruit of labor.” Coverdale, however, renders it: “Inasmuch as to live in the flesh is fruitful to me for the work, I wot not what I shall choose.” So Luther: “But since to live in the flesh serves to produce more fruit.” And so Bloomfield: “But if my life in the flesh be of use to the gospel (be it so, I say no more), verily what I shall choose I see and know not.”

See also Koppe, Rosenmuller, and Calvin, who give the same sense. According to this, the meaning is, that if his life were of value to the gospel, he was willing to live; or that it was a valuable object - operae pretium - worth an effort thus to live. This sense accords well with the connection, and the thought is a valuable one, but it is somewhat doubtful whether it can be made out from the Greek. To do it, it is necessary to suppose that μοι moi - “my” - is expletive (Koppe, and that καὶ kai - “and” - is used in an unusual sense. See Erasmus. According to the interpretation first suggested, it means, that Paul felt that it would be gain to die, and that he was entirely willing; that he felt that if he continued to live it would involve toil and fatigue, and that, therefore, great as was the natural love of life, and desirous as he was to do good, he did not know which to choose - an immediate departure to the world of rest, or a prolonged life of toil and pain, attended even with the hope that he might do good. There was an intense desire to be with Christ, joined with the belief that his life here must be attended with toil and anxiety; and on the other hand an earnest wish to live in order to do good, and he knew not which to prefer.

Yet - The sense has been obscured by this translation. The Greek word (καὶ kai) means “and,” and should have been so rendered here, in its usual sense. “To die would be gain; my life here would be one of toil, and I know not which to choose.”

What I shall choose I wot not - I do not know which I should prefer, if it were left to me. On each side there were important considerations, and he knew not which overbalanced the other. Are not Christians often in this state, that if it were left to themselves they would not know which to choose, whether to live or to die?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 22. But if I live in the flesh — Should I be spared longer, I shall labour for Christ as I have done; and this is the fruit of my labour, that Christ shall be magnified by my longer life, Philippians 1:20.

Yet what I shall choose I wot not. — Had I the two conditions left to my own choice, whether to die now and go to glory, or whether to live longer in persecutions and affliction, (glorifying Christ by spreading the Gospel,) I could not tell which to prefer.