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 our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker,
2 and to our sister Apphia and our comrade Archippus--as well as to the Church in your house.
to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your 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 always, making mention of you 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 your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,
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.
that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in 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 comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, 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 all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate,
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,
yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but 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 appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have become the father of in my chains,
11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me.
who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.
12 I am sending him back to you, though in so doing I send part of myself.
I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,
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 desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for 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 was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.
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 he was therefore separated from you briefly, that you would now have him wholly (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 slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 If therefore you regard me as a comrade, receive him as if he were I myself.
If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.
18 And if he was ever dishonest or is in your debt, debit me with the amount.
But if he has wronged you at all or owes you anything, put that to my account.
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 this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides).
20 Yes, brother, do me this favour for the Lord's sake. Refresh my heart in Christ.
Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart 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.
Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond 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.
Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored 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, greets you,
24 and from 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 the spirit of every one of you.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
