Philemon 1
1 Paul a prisoner of Iesus Christ, and our brother Timotheus, vnto Philemon our deare friende, and fellowe helper,
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother: To Philemon our dearly-loved fellow labourer--
2 And to our deare sister Apphia, and to Archippus our fellowe souldier, and to the Church that is in thine house:
and to our sister Apphia and our comrade Archippus--as well as to the Church in your house.
3 Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ.
May grace be granted to you all, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I giue thanks to my God, making mention alwaies of thee in my praiers,
I give continual thanks to my God while making mention of you, my brother, in my prayers,
5 (When I heare of thy loue and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Iesus, and towarde all Saintes)
because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have towards the Lord Jesus and which you manifest towards all God's people;
6 That the fellowship of thy faith may bee made effectuall, and that whatsoeuer good thing is in you through Christ Iesus, may be knowen.
praying as I do, that their participation in your faith may result in others fully recognizing all the right affection that is in us toward Christ.
7 For we haue great ioy and consolation in thy loue, because by thee, brother, the Saintes bowels are comforted.
For I have found great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of God's people have been, and are, refreshed through you, my brother.
8 Wherefore, though I bee very bolde in Christ to commaund thee that which is conuenient,
Therefore, though I might with Christ's authority speak very freely and order you to do what is fitting,
9 Yet for loues sake I rather beseeche thee, though I be as I am, euen Paul aged, and euen nowe a prisoner for Iesus Christ.
it is for love's sake that--instead of that--although I am none other than Paul the aged, and am now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
10 I beseeche thee for my sonne Onesimus, whome I haue begotten in my bondes,
I entreat you on behalf of my own child whose father I have become while in my chains--I mean Onesimus.
11 Which in times past was to thee vnprofitable, but nowe profitable both to thee and to me,
Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me.
12 Whome I haue sent againe: thou therefore receiue him, that is mine owne bowels,
I am sending him back to you, though in so doing I send part of myself.
13 Whom I woulde haue reteined with mee, that in thy steade he might haue ministred vnto me in the bondes of the Gospel.
It was my wish to keep him at my side for him to attend to my wants, as your representative, during my imprisonment for the Good News.
14 But without thy minde woulde I doe nothing, that thy benefite should not be as it were of necessitie, but willingly.
Only I wished to do nothing without your consent, so that his kind action of yours might not be done under pressure, but might be a voluntary one.
15 It may be that he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receiue him for euer, (aiōnios g166)
For perhaps it was for this reason he was parted from you for a time, that you might receive him back wholly and for ever yours; (aiōnios g166)
16 Not now as a seruant, but aboue a seruant, euen as a brother beloued, specially to me: howe much more then vnto thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord?
no longer as a slave, but as something better than a slave--a brother peculiarly dear to me, and even dearer to you, both as a servant and as a fellow Christian.
17 If therefore thou count our thinges common, receiue him as my selfe.
If therefore you regard me as a comrade, receive him as if he were I myself.
18 If he hath hurt thee, or oweth thee ought, that put on mine accounts.
And if he was ever dishonest or is in your debt, debit me with the amount.
19 I Paul haue written this with mine owne hande: I will recompense it, albeit I doe not say to thee, that thou owest moreouer vnto me euen thine owne selfe.
I Paul write this with my own hand--I will pay you in full. (I say nothing of the fact that you owe me even your own self.)
20 Yea, brother, let mee obteine this pleasure of thee in the Lord: comfort my bowels in the Lord.
Yes, brother, do me this favour for the Lord's sake. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Trusting in thine obedience, I wrote vnto thee, knowing that thou wilt do eue more then I say.
I write to you in the full confidence that you will meet my wishes, for I know you will do even more than I say.
22 Moreouer also prepare mee lodging: for I trust through your prayers I shall be freely giuen vnto you.
And at the same time provide accommodation for me; for I hope that through your prayers I shall be permitted to come to you.
23 There salute thee Epaphras my felowe prisoner in Christ Iesus,
Greetings to you, my brother, from Epaphras my fellow prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus;
24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my felowe helpers.
and from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your spirit, Amen. ‘Written from Rome to Philemon, and send by Onesimus a seruant.’
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit of every one of you.
