Philippians 1:22

NET ©

Now if I am to go on living in the body, 1  this will mean productive work 2  for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: 3 

NIV ©

If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!

NASB ©

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.

NLT ©

Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don’t know which is better.

MSG ©

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.

BBE ©

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.

NRSV ©

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

NKJV ©

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

KJV
But
<1161>
if
<1487>
I live
<2198> (5721)
in
<1722>
the flesh
<4561>_,
this
<5124>
[is] the fruit
<2590>
of my labour
<2041> <3427>_:
yet
<2532>
what
<5101>
I shall choose
<138> (5698)
I wot
<1107> (5719)
not
<3756>_.
GREEK
ei
<1487>
COND
de
<1161>
CONJ
to
<3588>
T-NSN
zhn
<2198> (5721)
V-PAN
en
<1722>
PREP
sarki
<4561>
N-DSF
touto
<5124>
D-NSN
moi
<3427>
P-1DS
karpov
<2590>
N-NSM
ergou
<2041>
N-GSN
kai
<2532>
CONJ
ti
<5101>
I-ASN
airhsomai
<138> (5698)
V-FMI-1S
ou
<3756>
PRT-N
gnwrizw
<1107> (5719)
V-PAI-1S
NET © [draft] ITL
Now
<1161>
if
<1487>
I am to go on living
<2198>
in
<1722>
the body
<4561>
, this
<5124>
will mean productive
<2590>
work
<2041>
for me
<3427>
, yet
<2532>
I
<1107>
don’t
<3756>
know
<1107>
which
<5101>
I prefer
<138>
:
NET © Notes

1 tn Grk “flesh.”

2 tn Grk “fruit of work”; the genitive ἔργου (ergou) is taken as an attributed genitive in which the head noun, καρπός (karpos), functions attributively (cf. ExSyn 89-91).

3 tn Grk “what I shall prefer.” The Greek verb αἱρέω (Jairew) could also mean “choose,” but in this context such a translation is problematic for it suggests that Paul could perhaps choose suicide (cf. L&N 30.86).

sn I don’t know what I prefer. Paul is here struggling with what would be most beneficial for both him and the church. He resolves this issue in vv. 24-25.