Philemon 1

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved friend and fellow worker,

2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:

and also to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in yoʋr house:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,

I give thanks to my God, always making mention of yoʋ in my prayers,

5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.

because I hear of yoʋr love for all the saints and the faith that yoʋ have toward the Lord Jesus.

6 I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.

I pray that yoʋr fellowship with us in the faith may be effective in deepening yoʋr understanding of every blessing that we have in Christ Jesus.

7 I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

We are very thankful for the comfort we have received from yoʋr love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through yoʋ, brother.

8 So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,

Therefore, although I am bold enough in Christ to command yoʋ to do what is right,

9 I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.

I would rather appeal to yoʋ on the basis of love. I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner for Jesus Christ,

10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.

appeal to yoʋ on behalf of my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.

11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

Once he was useless to yoʋ, but now he is useful both to yoʋ and to me. I am sending him back,

12 I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.

and I ask yoʋ to receive him, that is, my very own heart.

13 I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in yoʋr place during my imprisonment for the gospel.

14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.

But I did not want to do anything without yoʋr consent, so that yoʋr good deed would not be done out of compulsion, but of yoʋr own free will.

15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— (aiōnios g166)

Perhaps the reason he was separated from yoʋ for an hour was so that yoʋ might have him back forever, (aiōnios g166)

16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.

no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me, but even more so to yoʋ, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.

So if yoʋ consider me to be a partner, receive him as yoʋ would receive me.

18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.

If he has wronged yoʋ in any way or owes yoʋ anything, charge it to me.

19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention that yoʋ owe me yoʋr very own life).

20 Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from yoʋ in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.

21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

Trusting in yoʋr obedience, I write to yoʋ, knowing that yoʋ will do even more than I ask.

22 In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

At the same time, I want yoʋ to prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you soon.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus,

24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

and Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers, greet yoʋ.

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.