American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them.
All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
{Another reading is, For who is exempted? With all &c., or, who can choose? With all &c.}For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.
Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack oil.
{Or, Enjoy (Hebrew: See) life}Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun.
Whatsoever thy hand {Or, attained to do by thy strength, that do}findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
Paul and Timothy, {Greek: bondservants.}servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the {Or, overseers}bishops and deacons:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you,
always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy,
for your fellowship in furtherance of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel from the first day until now;
being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:
even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because {Or, ye have me in your heart}I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel, ye all are partakers with me of grace.
For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;
so that ye may {Or, distinguish the things that differ}approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ;
being filled with the {Greek: fruit.}fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel;
so that my bonds became manifest in Christ {Greek: in the whole Prætorium.}throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest;
and that most of the brethren in the Lord, {Greek: trusting in my bonds.}being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.
Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
{Or, they that are moved by love do it, knowing &c.}the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel;
{Or, but they that are factious proclaim Christ, not &c.}but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds.
What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
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.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
{Or, But if to live in the flesh be my lot, this is the fruit of my work: and what I shall choose I know not.}But if to live in the flesh, — if {Greek: this is for me fruit of work.}this shall bring fruit from my work, then {Or, what shall I choose?}what I shall choose I know not.
But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better:
yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake.
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you all, for your progress and joy {Or, of faith}in the faith;
that your glorying may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.
Only {Greek: behave as citizens worthily. Compare chapter 3:20.}let your manner of life be worthy of the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 1:5.}gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving {Greek: with.}for the faith of the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 1:5.}gospel;
and in nothing affrighted by the adversaries: which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation, and that from God;
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:
having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, {Many ancient authorities omit who is in heaven.}who is in heaven.