אֶל־פִּילֵימוֹן 1

1 פולוס אסיר המשיח ישוע וטימותיוס האח אל פילימון החביב והעזר אתנו׃

[I], Paul, am a prisoner [who serves] Christ Jesus. [I am here] with Timothy, our fellow believer. [I am writing this letter] to [you], Philemon, our dear [friend] and fellow worker.

2 ואל אפיה האהובה ואל ארכפוס חבר מלחמתינו ואל הקהלה אשר בביתך׃

[I am also writing] to [your wife], Apphia, and to Archippus, [who is like] [MET] our fellow soldier [because he serves Christ steadfastly together with us]. I am also [writing this] to the congregation [that meets/gathers] in your [(sg)] house.

3 חסד לכם ושלום מאת אלהים אבינו ואדנינו ישוע המשיח׃

[I pray that] God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ [will continue to] act kindly toward you all and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.

4 מודה אני לאלהי בכל עת בהזכירי אתך בתפלותי׃

I always thank my God when I pray for you [(sg)], because I hear [people say that] you love all God’s people [CHI]

5 אחרי שמעי אהבתך ואמונתך אשר בך לאדנינו ישוע ולכל הקדושים׃

and that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus.

6 למען אשר תאמץ התחברות אמונתך בדעת כל טוב אשר בכם לשם המשיח׃

I pray that as a result of your knowing all the good things [that God/Christ has done for] us, you may (be effective/influence many others) as you tell others what you believe, in order that [they may honor] Christ.

7 כי שמחה גדולה ונחמה יש לנו באהבתך באשר היתה רוחה למעי הקדושים אחי על ידיך׃

I have rejoiced greatly and have been greatly encouraged because you, my dear friend, have acted lovingly toward God’s people by encouraging them [SYN].

8 לכן אף כי יש לי בטחון רב במשיח לצותך את הראוי לך הנה בחרתי למען האהבה לחלות את פניך׃

So [I have a request/favor to ask of you]. I am completely confident [that I have authority] to command you [to do] what you ought to do, because [I am an apostle of] Christ.

9 כאשר הנה אנכי פולוס איש זקן ועתה גם אסיר ישוע המשיח׃

But because [I know that you] love [God’s people], I request this instead of [commanding you to do it]. It is I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner [because I serve] Christ Jesus, [who am requesting it].

10 אבקשה ממך על בני אשר הוללתיו במוסרי על אניסימוס׃

I request that you [do something] for someone [who has become like] my own son [because I told him about Christ] [MET] while [I have been] a prisoner [MTY] [here. His name is] Onesimus.

11 אשר מלפנים לא הועיל לך ועתה הוא להועיל גם לך גם לי והשיבתיו אליך׃

Although [his name, as you know, means ‘useful’], formerly he was useless to you. But now he is useful both to you and to me!

12 ואתה קבל נא אתו שהוא מעי׃

Although (he is [as dear to me as/I love him as much as I love]) [MET] my own self [MTY], I am sending him back to you.

13 חפצתי לעצר אתו אצלי שישרתני תחתיך במוסרות הבשורה׃

I would like to have kept him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf, while I am a prisoner [MTY] [because of my preaching] the message [about Christ].

14 אבל בלי רצונך לא אביתי לעשות דבר למען לא תהיה טובתך באנס כי אם בנדבה׃

Nevertheless, because [I had not yet asked you and] you had not yet permitted me [to keep him here with me], I decided not to [keep him here. I decided that I should] not do anything without your permitting it. [I decided that you should help me only if you] really want to help me.

15 כי אולי נפרד ממך לשעה בעבור אשר יהיה לך לעולם׃ (aiōnios g166)

Perhaps the reason that [God permitted] Onesimus to be separated from {to leave} you for a little while was that [he would believe in Christ, and as a result] you would have him (back/with you) forever! (aiōnios g166)

16 ומעתה לא כעבד כי אם למעלה מעבד כאח אהוב שכן הוא לי ביותר ואף כי לך הן בבשר הן באדון׃

[You will no longer have him only] as a slave. Instead, [you will have him] as [someone who is] more than a slave. [You will have him] as a fellow believer! He is especially dear to me, but he certainly will be more dear to you [than he is to me] (OR, I love him very much, but you will certainly love him more than I do), [because now he] not only belongs to you but he also belongs to the Lord.

17 והנה אם תחשבני לחבר לך תקבלנו כמוני׃

So, if you consider me to be your partner [in God’s work], receive him as you would receive me.

18 ואם הרע לך בדבר או חיב הוא לך דבר חשבהו לי׃

If he has wronged you in any manner or if he owes you anything, (charge that to me/tell me so that I can pay you).

19 אני פולוס כתבתי בידי אני אשלם ולא אמר כי אתה חיב לי גם את נפשך׃

I, Paul, am now writing this in my own handwriting: I will repay you what he owes you, although I might mention to you that you owe me even more than Onesimus may owe you, because it was the result of my telling you about Christ that God saved you.

20 כן אחי אהנה נא ממך באדון נחם נא את מעי באדון׃

(Yes/I say it again), my dear friend, because you and I both have a relationship with the Lord, I want you to do this for me. Encourage me [SYN] [by receiving Onesimus kindly, just like you encourage others who believe] in Christ.

21 בבטחוני כי תשמע לי כתבתי אליך ויודע אני כי תעשה יותר ממה שאמרתי׃

I have written [this letter] to you, confident that you will do what I am requesting you to [do]. [In fact], I know that you will do even more than what I am requesting [you to do].

22 ועם זה גם תכין לי בית מלון כי אקוה אשר אנתן לכם על ידי תפלותיכם׃

Also, keep a guest room ready for me [to stay in], because I confidently expect that as a result of your prayers [for me, I] will be released [from prison and will come] to you all.

23 אפפרס האסור אתי במשיח ישוע׃

Epaphras, who is [suffering] with me in prison because of [his serving] Christ Jesus, (sends his greetings to you/wants you to know that he is thinking fondly about you).

24 ומרקוס וארסטרכוס ודימס ולוקס עזרי שאלים לשלומך׃

Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, who are my [other] fellow workers, also (send their greetings to you/want you to know that they are thinking fondly about you).

25 חסד ישוע המשיח אדנינו עם רוחכם אמן׃

[I pray that] the Lord Jesus Christ [will] ([continue to] work kindly in all your lives/kindly keep accomplishing what he desires within you).