Philemon 1
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother: To Philemon our dearly-loved fellow labourer--
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy the brother, to Philemon our beloved and co-workman,
2 and to our sister Apphia and our comrade Archippus--as well as to the Church in your house.
and to the beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the congregation at thy house:
3 May grace be granted to you all, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give continual thanks to my God while making mention of you, my brother, in my prayers,
I thank my God, making recollection of thee always in my prayers,
5 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;
hearing of thy love and faith, which thou have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the sanctified,
6 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.
so that the fellowship of thy faith may become potent (in the knowledge of every good thing in us) for Christ Jesus.
7 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.
For we have much joy and encouragement in thy love, because the bowels of the sanctified have been refreshed by thee, brother.
8 Therefore, though I might with Christ's authority speak very freely and order you to do what is fitting,
Therefore, though I have much boldness in Christ to command thee that which is befitting,
9 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,
because of love I rather beseech, being such as aged Paul, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
10 I entreat you on behalf of my own child whose father I have become while in my chains--I mean Onesimus.
I beseech thee for my child Onesimus, whom I begot in my bonds.
11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me.
A man formerly unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me, whom I sent back.
12 I am sending him back to you, though in so doing I send part of myself.
And thou should welcome him, that is, my bowels.
13 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.
Whom I wanted to keep back for myself, so that in thy behalf he might serve me in the bonds of the good news.
14 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.
But I wanted to do nothing without thy mind, so that thy goodness might not be as from obligation, but from volition.
15 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)
For perhaps because of this he departed for an hour, so that thou might receive him back forever, (aiōnios g166)
16 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.
no longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to thee, both in flesh and in the Lord.
17 If therefore you regard me as a comrade, receive him as if he were I myself.
If then thou have me a partner, accept him as myself.
18 And if he was ever dishonest or is in your debt, debit me with the amount.
But if he has wronged thee, or owes anything, charge this to me.
19 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.)
I Paul write with my hand, I will repay, so that I may not say to thee that thou owe me in return even thyself.
20 Yes, brother, do me this favour for the Lord's sake. Refresh my heart in Christ.
Yes, brother, let me have a favor of thee in the Lord. Refresh my bowels in the Lord.
21 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.
Being confident in thine obedience I wrote to thee, knowing that thou will do above what I say.
22 And at the same time provide accommodation for me; for I hope that through your prayers I shall be permitted to come to you.
But simultaneously also prepare a lodging for me, for I hope that by your prayers I will be granted to you.
23 Greetings to you, my brother, from Epaphras my fellow prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus;
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, salutes thee,
24 and from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
and Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my co-workmen.
25 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit of every one of you.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with your spirit. Truly.
