Philemon 1

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

From Paul, now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, a Brother.

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

To our dear friend and fellow-worker Philemon, to our sister Apphia, to our fellow-soldier Archippus; and to the Church that meets at Philemon’s house;

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

may God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.

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

I always mention you in my prayers and thank God for you,

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

because I hear of the love and the faith which you show, not only to the Lord Jesus, but also to all his People;

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

and I pray that your participation in the Faith may result in action, as you come to a fuller realisation of everything that is good and Christlike in us.

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

I have indeed found great joy and encouragement in your love, knowing, as I do, how the hearts of Christ’s People have been cheered, brother, by you.

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

And so, though my union with Christ enables me, with all confidence, to dictate the course that you should adopt,

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

yet the claims of love make me prefer to plead with you — yes, even me, Paul, though I am an ambassador for Christ Jesus and, now a prisoner for him as well.

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

I plead with you for this Child of mine, Onesimus, to whom, in my prison, I have become a Father.

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

Once he was of little service to you, but now he has become of great service, not only to you, but to me as well;

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

and I am sending him back to you with this letter — though it is like tearing out of my very 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.

For my own sake I should like to keep him with me, so that, while I am in prison for the Good News, he might attend to my wants on your behalf.

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 do not wish to do anything without your consent, because I want your generosity to be voluntary and not, as it were, compulsory.

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)

It may be that he was separated from you for an hour, for this very reason, that you might have him back for ever, (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 as something better — a dearly loved Brother, especially dear to me, and how much more so to you, not only as your fellow man, but as your fellow Christian!

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

If, then, you count me your friend, receive him as you would me.

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

If he has caused you any loss, or owes you 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, put my own hand to it — I will repay you myself. I say nothing about your owing me your very self.

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

Yes, Brother, let me gain something from you because of your union with the Lord. Cheer my heart by your Christlike spirit.

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

Even as I write, I have such confidence in your compliance with my wishes, that I am sure that you will do even more than I am asking.

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

Please also get a lodging ready for me, for I hope that I shall be given back to you all in answer to your prayers.

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

Epaphras, who is my fellow-prisoner for Christ Jesus, sends you his greeting;

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

and Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow-workers, send theirs.

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

May the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ rest on your souls.