Philemon 1
1 From Paul, now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, a fellow follower of the Lord.
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother: To Philemon our dearly-loved fellow labourer--
2 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;
and to our sister Apphia and our comrade Archippus--as well as to the Church in your house.
3 may God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.
May grace be granted to you all, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always mention you in my prayers and thank God for you,
I give continual thanks to my God while making mention of you, my brother, in my prayers,
5 because I hear of the love and the faith which you show, not only to the Lord Jesus, but also to all his people;
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 and I pray that your participation in the faith may result in action, as you come to a fuller realization of everything that is good and Christlike in us.
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 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, friend, by you.
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 And so, though my union with Christ enables me, with all confidence, to dictate the course that you should adopt,
Therefore, though I might with Christ's authority speak very freely and order you to do what is fitting,
9 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.
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 plead with you for this child of mine, Onesimus, to whom, in my prison, I have become a father.
I entreat you on behalf of my own child whose father I have become while in my chains--I mean Onesimus.
11 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;
Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me.
12 and I am sending him back to you with this letter – though it is like tearing out of my heart.
I am sending him back to you, though in so doing I send part of myself.
13 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.
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 I do not wish to do anything without your consent, because I want your generosity to be voluntary and not, as it were, compulsory.
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 was separated from you for an hour, for this reason, so that you might have him back for ever, (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 no longer as a slave, but as something better – a dearly loved friend and follower of the Lord, especially dear to me, and how much more so to you, not only as a person, but as your fellow Christian!
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, then, you count me your friend, receive him as you would me.
If therefore you regard me as a comrade, receive him as if he were I myself.
18 If he has caused you any loss, or owes you anything, charge it to me.
And if he was ever dishonest or is in your debt, debit me with the amount.
19 I, Paul, put my own hand to it – I will repay you myself. I say nothing about your owing me your self.
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 Yes, friend, let me gain something from you because of your union with the Lord. Cheer my heart by your Christlike spirit.
Yes, brother, do me this favour for the Lord's sake. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 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.
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 Please also get a lodging ready for me, for I hope that I will be given back to you all in answer to your prayers.
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 Epaphras, who is my fellow prisoner for Christ Jesus, sends you his greeting;
Greetings to you, my brother, from Epaphras my fellow prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus;
24 and Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers, send theirs.
and from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 May the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ rest on your souls.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit of every one of you.
