Wafilipi 1
1 Mimi Paulo na Timotheo, watumishi wa Yesu Kristo, tunawaandikia nyinyi watu wa Mungu huko Filipi ambao mmeunganishwa na Kristo Yesu, pamoja na viongozit na wasaidizi wa kanisa. 2 Tunawatakieni neema na amani kutoka kwa Mungu Baba yetu na kutoka kwa Bwana Yesu Kristo.
Sala kwa ajili ya Wafilipi
3 Namshukuru Mungu wangu kila ninapowakumbukeni; 4 na kila ninapowaombeeni nyote, nasali kwa furaha, 5 kwa sababu ya jinsi mlivyonisaidia katika kazi ya Injili tangu siku ile ya kwanza mpaka leo. 6 Basi, nina hakika kwamba Mungu aliyeanza kazi hii njema ndani yenu, ataiendeleza mpaka ikamilike katika siku ile ya Kristo Yesu. 7 Hivyo ndivyo ninavyopaswa kuwafikirieni, kwani nawakumbukeni daima moyoni mwangu. Kwa maana nyinyi nyote mmeshiriki katika fadhili aliyonijalia Mungu ya kutetea na kuithibitisha Injili, sasa niwapo kifungoni na pia pale awali nilipokuwa huru. 8 Mungu anajua kuwa ninasema ukweli ninaposisitiza kwamba, kwa upendo uleule wa Yesu Kristo, natamani sana kuwaoneni.
9 Sala yangu ni hii: Naomba upendo wenu uzidi kuongezeka zaidi na zaidi pamoja na ujuzi wa kweli na busara ya kila namna, 10 ili muweze kuchagua jambo lililo bora. Hapo ndipo mtakuwa safi na bila lawama yoyote ile katika siku ile ya Kristo. 11 Maisha yenu yatajazwa mambo yote yaliyo kweli bora, ambayo Yesu Kristo mwenyewe anaweza kuwajalieni, kwa ajili ya utukufu na sifa ya Mungu.
Kuishi ni Kristo
12 Ndugu zangu, napenda mfahamu kwamba mambo yote yaliyonipata yamesaidia sana kuieneza Injili. 13 Kutokana na hayo, walinzi wote wa ikulu pamoja na wengine wote hapa wanafahamu kwamba niko kifungoni kwa sababu mimi namtumikia Kristo. 14 Na huku kuweko kwangu kifungoni kumewafanya ndugu wengi kuwa na imani kwa Bwana, hata wanazidi kuwa hodari katika kuutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu bila hofu. 15 Kweli, baadhi yao wanamhubiri Kristo kwa sababu wana wivu na ni watu wagomvi; lakini wengine wanamhubiri Kristo kwa nia nzuri. 16 Hawa wanafanya hivyo kwa upendo, kwani wanajua kwamba Mungu amenipa jukumu hili la kuitetea Injili. 17 Hao wengine wanamtangaza Kristo kwa mashindano na si kwa moyo mnyofu, wakidhani kwamba wataniongezea mateso yangu kifungoni.
18 Haidhuru! Mimi nafurahi ikiwa tu watu wanamhubiri Kristo kwa kila njia, iwe ni kwa nia nzuri au kwa nia mbaya. Tena nitaendelea kufurahi, 19 kwani najua kwamba kwa sala zenu na kwa msaada wa Roho wa Yesu Kristo, nitakombolewa. 20 Hamu yangu kubwa na tumaini langu ni kwamba kwa vyovyote sitashindwa katika kutimiza wajibu wangu, bali nitakuwa na moyo thabiti kila wakati na hasa wakati huu, ili kwa maisha yangu yote, niwapo hai au nikifa, nimpatie Kristo heshima. 21 Kwangu, kuishi ni Kristo, na kufa ni faida zaidi. 22 Lakini, kama kwa kuishi nitaweza kufanya kazi yenye faida zaidi, basi, sijui nichague lipi! 23 Nakabiliwa na haya mawili yaliyo sawa. Natamani kuyaacha maisha haya nikakae pamoja na Kristo, jambo ambalo ni bora zaidi; 24 lakini ni jambo la maana zaidi kwenu kama nikiendelea kuishi. 25 Nina hakika ya jambo hili, na hivyo najua kwamba nitaendelea kuishi pamoja nanyi nyote, ili nipate kuongeza maendeleo yenu na furaha katika imani. 26 Basi, nitakapokuwa nanyi tena mtakuwa na sababu ya kuona fahari juu yangu katika kuungana na Kristo Yesu.
27 Basi, jambo muhimu ni kwamba mwenendo wenu uambatane na matakwa ya Injili ya Kristo, ili kama nikiweza kuja kwenu au nisipoweza, nipate walau kusikia kwamba mnasimama imara mkiwa na lengo moja, na kwamba mnapigana vita kwa pamoja na mnayo nia moja kwa ajili ya imani ya Injili. 28 Msiwaogope maadui zenu, bali muwe hodari daima, na hiyo itawathibitishia kwamba wao watashindwa, nanyi mtashinda kwani Mungu mwenyewe ndiye anayewapeni ushindi. 29 Maana nyinyi mmepewa fadhili ya kumtumikia Kristo si tu kwa kumwamini bali pia kwa kuteswa kwa ajili yake. 30 Sasa mwaweza kushirikiana nami katika kupigana vita. Vita hivi ni vile mlivyoona nikipigana pale awali na ambavyo bado napigana sasa kama mnavyosikia.
Philippians 1
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you,4 always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy,5 for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now;6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:7 even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers with me of grace.8 For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;10 so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ;11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.12 Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel;13 so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest;14 and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:16 the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel;17 but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds.18 What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.19 For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.22 But if to live in the flesh, --if this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I know not.23 But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better:24 yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake.25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith;26 that your glorying may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you and be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel;28 and in nothing affrighted by the adversaries: which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation, and that from God;29 because to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf:30 having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.