Philemon 1
1 To my beloved friend and coworker Philemon,
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,
2 to my sister Apphia, to my fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church which meets at Philemon’s house. From Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy.
to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:
3 Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I am ever mentioning you in my prayers, and giving thanks to God,
I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,
5 because I am hearing of your love and of the faith which you hold, not only toward the Lord Jesus Christ, but toward all the saints.
because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
6 And I pray that your participation may become effectual, as you come to acknowledge every good thing which is in you to Christ.
I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.
7 For I have great joy and comfort in your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed.
I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
8 And so, although I might be bold in Christ to dictate to you what is fitting,
So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,
9 yet for love’s sake, I rather beseech you, I, Paul, an old man, and now a prisoner for Christ Jesus!
I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.
10 I beseech you for my son, Onesimus, whom I have begotten in these chains.
I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.
11 Once you found him "unprofitable," but now he is "profitable" to you and to me.
Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending him back to you, he himself, that is, my very heart!
I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.
13 I could wish to retain him at my side, so that he might minister to me in your stead, in my bonds for the gospel.
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.
14 But without your consent I was unwilling to do anything, so that your kindness to me might be of your own free will, and not of compulsion.
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.
15 Perhaps for this reason you were separated from him for an hour, in order that you might have him back forever, (aiōnios g166)
For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— (aiōnios g166)
16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a brother beloved; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, both as a man and a fellow Christian.
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.
17 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.
So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.
18 And if he has wronged you at all, or is owing you anything, charge that to me.
But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.
19 I Paul am writing this in my own handwriting, "I will repay you." But I will not mention that you owe me, over and over, your very soul.
I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
20 Come my brother, let me have joy in the Lord because of you! Refresh my heart in Christ!
Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Because I am thoroughly persuaded of your obedience, I have written you, knowing full well that you will do by me what I am asking.
Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 Please also prepare for me a lodging, for I am hoping by your prayers to be restored to you again.
In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greeting;
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,
24 so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
