1 This letter is from me, Paul. I am in prison because I serve Christ Jesus. Our Christian friend Timothy is here with me.
We are writing to you, Philemon. You are our friend, and we love you. You work on behalf of Christ, as we do. 2 We say ‘hello’ also to Apphia, who is like a sister to us. And we say ‘hello’ to Archippus, who serves Christ like a soldier, as we do. We also say ‘hello’ to the group of Christians who meet in your home.
3 I pray that God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to help you. I pray that they will give you peace in your minds.
4 When I pray for you, I always thank my God when I think about you. 5 I thank God because people tell me good things about you. You love all God's people and you trust in the Lord Jesus. 6 We each have the same faith in Christ as we serve him. So I pray that, as a result, you will become strong. I pray that you will understand more about every good thing that is ours because of Christ. 7 My friend, you have helped God's people to feel stronger. Your love for them has made me very happy. It makes me feel stronger too.
8 I want to ask you to do something. I am sure that Christ has given me authority. So I could tell you strongly what you should do. 9 But instead, because of love, I will ask you, ‘Please do it.’ I, Paul, am an old man. Also, I am in prison now because I serve Christ Jesus. 10 So I am asking you to help Onesimus, who is like my own child. I taught him about Jesus while I was in prison. Because of that, he now has life with God. I am like his father. 11 Before he trusted Jesus, Onesimus did not really help you. But now he can help both you and me. [ a ]
12 So I am now sending him back to you. Because I love him, it is like I am sending you my own heart. 13 I wanted to keep him here with me, to help me on your behalf. I am in prison here because I taught people the good news about Jesus. 14 But I did not want to do anything unless you agreed. I wanted you to help me because you really want to help. I did not want to make you do it.
15 When Onesimus ran away from you, perhaps God let that happen. Onesimus left you for a short time so that you could now have him back for ever. 16 You can have him back again not only as your slave. He will be something much better than a slave for you. He will be like a brother that you love. I love him very much. But now you will love him even more. He will serve you as a slave, but he will also serve the Lord, as you do.
17 I am your friend. Together we serve God. If you agree with that, please be kind to Onesimus. Accept him in the same way that you would accept me. 18 If Onesimus has done anything wrong to you, I will make it right again. If he took money from you, I will pay it back. 19 I, Paul, am writing this myself: ‘I will pay the money back to you.’ But you should remember what I have given to you already. You have life with God because I told you the good news about Jesus.
20 Yes, my friend, please help me now, because we both belong to the Lord. As a Christian friend, help me to feel happier. 21 I am sure that you will do what I ask. That is why I have written this letter to you. I know that you will do even more than this to help me.
22 I want to ask you one more thing. Please prepare a room in your home where I can stay. I know that all of you are praying for God to let me go free. As a result, I hope that I will be able to visit you again.
23 Epaphras is also here in prison with me because he serves Christ Jesus. He says ‘hello’ to you. 24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, who work with me here, also say ‘hello’ to you.
25 I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to be very kind to all of you.
1 Greetings from Paul, a prisoner for Jesus Christ, and from Timothy, our brother.
To Philemon, our dear friend and worker with us. 2 Also to our sister Apphia, to Archippus, who serves with us in the Lord’s army, and to the church that meets in your home.
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I remember you in my prayers. And I always thank my God for you. 5 I thank God because I hear about the love you have for all of God’s holy people and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that the faith you share will make you understand every blessing we have in Christ. 7 My brother, you have shown love to God’s people, and your help has greatly encouraged them. What a great joy and encouragement that has been to me.
8 There is something that you should do. And because of the authority I have in Christ, I feel free to command you to do it. 9 But I am not commanding you; I am asking you to do it out of love. I, Paul, am an old man now, and I am a prisoner for Christ Jesus. 10 I am asking you for my son Onesimus. He became my son while I was in prison. 11 In the past he was useless to you. But now he has become useful [ a ] for both you and me.
12 I am sending him back to you, but it’s as hard as losing part of myself. 13 I would like to keep him here to help me while I am still in prison for telling the Good News. By helping me here, he would be representing you. 14 But I did not want to do anything without asking you first. Then whatever you do for me will be what you want to do, not what I forced you to do.
15 Onesimus was separated from you for a short time. Maybe that happened so that you could have him back forever, 16 not to be just a slave, but better than a slave, to be a dear brother. That’s what he is to me. And I know he will mean even more to you, both as your slave and as one who shares your faith in the Lord.
17 If you accept me as your friend, then accept Onesimus back. Welcome him like you would welcome me. 18 If he has done any wrong to you or owes you anything, charge that to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this in my own handwriting: I will pay back anything Onesimus owes. And I will say nothing about what you owe me for your own life. 20 So, my brother, as a follower of the Lord please do this favor [ b ] for me. It would be such a great encouragement to me as your brother in Christ. 21 I write this letter knowing that you will do what I ask, and even more than I ask.
22 Also, please prepare a room for me. I hope that God will answer your prayers and that I will be able to come and see you.
23 Epaphras is a prisoner with me for Christ Jesus. He sends you his greetings. 24 Also Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke send their greetings. They are workers together with me.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,
2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
3 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,
5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
8 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,
9 Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:
13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
15 For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;
16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?
17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
19 I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.
21 Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
22 But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.
23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
1 ( A ) Paul, ( B ) a prisoner of ( C ) Christ Jesus, and ( D ) Timothy [ a ] our brother,
To Philemon our beloved brother and ( E ) fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia [ b ] ( F ) our sister, and to ( G ) Archippus our ( H ) fellow soldier, and to ( I ) the church in your house: 3 ( J ) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 ( K ) I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I ( L ) hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the [ c ] saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective [ d ] through the ( M ) knowledge of every good thing which is in you [ e ] for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have had great ( N ) joy and comfort in your love, because the [ f ] hearts of the [ g ] saints have been ( O ) refreshed through you, brother.
8 Therefore, ( P ) though I have [ h ] enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is ( Q ) proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather ( R ) appeal to you —since I am such a person as Paul, [ i ] an ( S ) old man, and now also ( T ) a prisoner of ( U ) Christ Jesus—
10 I ( V ) appeal to you for my ( W ) [ j ] son [ k ] ( X ) Onesimus, whom I [ l ] fathered in my [ m ] imprisonment, 11 who previously was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wanted to keep with me, so that in your behalf he might be at my service in my [ n ] ( Y ) imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness would ( Z ) not be, in effect, by compulsion, but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps it was ( AA ) for this reason that he was separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 ( AB ) no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, ( AC ) a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both ( AD ) in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 If then you regard me as a ( AE ) partner, accept him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything , charge that to my account; 19 ( AF ) I, Paul, have written this with my own hand, I will repay it ( ( AG ) not to [ o ] mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; ( AH ) refresh my heart in Christ.
21 ( AI ) Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.
22 At the same time also prepare me a ( AJ ) guest room, for ( AK ) I hope that through ( AL ) your prayers ( AM ) I will be given to you.
23 ( AN ) Epaphras, my ( AO ) fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do ( AP ) Mark, ( AQ ) Aristarchus, ( AR ) Demas, and ( AS ) Luke, my ( AT ) fellow workers.
25 ( AU ) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be ( AV ) with your spirit. [ p ]
1 Paul, a prisoner ( A ) of Christ Jesus, and Timothy ( B ) our brother, ( C )
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker ( D ) — 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus ( E ) our fellow soldier ( F ) —and to the church that meets in your home: ( G )
3 Grace and peace to you [ a ] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ( H )
4 I always thank my God ( I ) as I remember you in my prayers, ( J ) 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people ( K ) and your faith in the Lord Jesus. ( L ) 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, ( M ) because you, brother, have refreshed ( N ) the hearts of the Lord’s people.
8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you ( O ) on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner ( P ) of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son ( Q ) Onesimus, [ b ] ( R ) who became my son while I was in chains. ( S ) 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains ( T ) for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced ( U ) but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, ( V ) but better than a slave, as a dear brother. ( W ) He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me a partner, ( X ) welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. ( Y ) 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. ( Z ) I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh ( AA ) my heart in Christ. 21 Confident ( AB ) of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be ( AC ) restored to you in answer to your prayers. ( AD )
23 Epaphras, ( AE ) my fellow prisoner ( AF ) in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24 And so do Mark, ( AG ) Aristarchus, ( AH ) Demas ( AI ) and Luke, my fellow workers. ( AJ )
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. ( AK )
