< Philemon 1 >
1 Paul, a prisoner for Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy, to the beloved Philemon, our fellow worker,
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved friend and fellow worker,
2 and to the beloved Apphia and our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the congregation at your (sg) house:
and also to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in yoʋr house:
3 Grace to you (pl) and peace from God our Father and Sovereign Jesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God as I make mention of you (sg) in my prayers,
I give thanks to my God, always making mention of yoʋ in my prayers,
5 hearing of your love and faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus, and 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 so that the sharing of your (sg) faith may become powerful through a full understanding of every good thing that is among you (pl) who are in Christ Jesus;
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 yes, we have much thanksgiving and encouragement because of your (sg) love, in that the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
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 Now then, though I have all boldness in Christ to order you (sg) to do what is right,
Therefore, although I am bold enough in Christ to command yoʋ to do what is right,
9 I—being none other than Paul the old man and now also a prisoner for Jesus Christ—would rather appeal to you, for love's sake.
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 on behalf of the son whom I begot while in my chains, Onesimus, whom I am sending back
appeal to yoʋ on behalf of my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.
11 —formerly he was unprofitable to you, but now he is profitable, 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 So receive 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 he might minister to me in your place, while I am in 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 contribution might be voluntary, not as an imposition.
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 Perhaps this is why he was removed for a while, so that you would have him forever (aiōnios )
Perhaps the reason he was separated from yoʋ for an hour was so that yoʋ might have him back forever, (aiōnios )
16 —no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, very much to me but even more to you, both in flesh 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 if it were me.
So if yoʋ consider me to be a partner, receive him as yoʋ would receive me.
18 If he wronged you or owes anything, charge it to me.
If he has wronged yoʋ in any way or owes yoʋ anything, charge it to me.
19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand, “I will repay” (rather than say to you that you actually 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 this benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.
Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from yoʋ in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.
21 Being confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you (sg) will do even more than I say.
Trusting in yoʋr obedience, I write to yoʋ, knowing that yoʋ will do even more than I ask.
22 But meanwhile, do prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your (pl) prayers I will be graciously bestowed on you (pl).
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 for Christ Jesus, greets you (sg),
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 our Lord Jesus be with your (pl) spirit. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.