1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,
1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy the brother, To Philemon, our beloved and fellow worker,
2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at yourahouse:
2and to Apphia the sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church at your house:
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon’s Faith and Love
4I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,
4I thank my God always, making remembrance of you in my prayers,
5because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
5hearing of your love and the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints,
6I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.
6so that the fellowship of your faith might become effective in the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us in Christ.
7I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
7For I have much joy and encouragement on the basis of your love, because the inner parts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.
Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus
8So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,
8Therefore, having much boldness in Christ to order you to do what is fitting,
9I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.
9because of love, rather, I exhort you, being such a one as Paul, now an elderly man and also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus,awhose father I became while I was in chains.
10I exhort you concerning my child whom I begot in chains, Onesimus,
11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
11the one once useless to you, but now useful both to you and to me,
12I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.
12whom I sent back to you himself—this one who is my inner parts—
13I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.
13whom I was wishing to keep with myself, so that on behalf of you he might minister to me in the chains of the gospel.
14But 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.
14But apart from your consent I wanted to do nothing, so that your good may be not as according to necessity, but according to willingness.
15For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good—
15For perhaps because of this he was separated for an hour, so that you might have him back eternally,
16no 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.
16no longer as a slave, but above a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.
17Therefore, if you hold me a partner, receive him as me.
18But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.
18But if in any way he wronged you or he owes you, impute this to me.
19I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
19I, Paul, wrote with my own hand. I will repay it, that I may not say to you that you also owe to me even yourself.
20Yes, brother, let me have some benefitafrom you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
20Yes, brother, may I have profit from you in the Lord. Refresh my inner parts in Christ.
21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
21Being persuaded of your obedience, I wrote to you, knowing that you will do even above what I say.
22In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
22Now at the same time, also prepare a lodging for me; for I hope that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
Additional Greetings
23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,
23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.a
25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.