| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker | 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother: To Philemon our dear friend and coworker, |
| 2and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: | 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home. |
| 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 4I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, | 4I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, |
| 5because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, | 5because I hear of your love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. |
| 6and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. | 6I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory of Christ. |
| 7For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. | 7For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. |
| 8Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, | 8For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, |
| 9yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— | 9I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, |
| 10I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. | 10appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I fathered him while I was in chains. |
| 11(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) | 11Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. |
| 12I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. | 12I am sending him back to you as a part of myself. |
| 13I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, | 13I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. |
| 14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. | 14But I didn't want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. |
| 15For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, | 15For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, |
| 16no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. | 16no longer as a slave, but more than a slave--as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but even more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. |
| 17So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. | 17So if you consider me a partner, accept him as you would me. |
| 18If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. | 18And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. |
| 19I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. | 19I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it--not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self. |
| 20Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. | 20Yes, brother, may I have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. |
| 21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. | 21Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. |
| 22At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. | 22But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you. |
| 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, | 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, and so do |
| 24and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. | 24Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my coworkers. |
| 25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. | 25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. |
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