¹⁹But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I also may be encouraged when I^* know your circumstances^j. ²⁰For I have no one like-minded who will sincerely be concerned about your circumstances^k. ²¹For they all seek their own interests^l, not those of Jesus Christ. ²²But you know his proven character, that like a child with a father he served with me for the gospel. ²³Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see my circumstances^m. ²⁴And I am convinced in the Lord that I myself will arrive shortly also.

Epaphroditus’ Mission

²⁵But I considered it^* necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, but your messenger and servant of my need, ²⁶because he was longing for all of you and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷For indeed he was sick, coming near to death, but God had mercy on him and not on him only, but also on me, so that I would not have grief upon grief. ²⁸Therefore I am sending him with special urgency, in order that when^* you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less anxious. ²⁹Therefore welcome him in the Lord with all joy, and consider such people highly honored, ³⁰because on account of the work of Christ he came near to the point of death, risking his life in order that he might make up for your inability to serve meⁿ.

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Footnotes

*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as temporal
jLiterally “the things concerning you”
kLiterally “the things concerning you”
lLiterally “the things of themselves”
mLiterally “the things concerning me”
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“see”) which is understood as temporal
nLiterally “he might fill up your lack of service to me”