| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker | 1From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear friend and colaborer, |
| 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 house. |
| 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | 3Grace and peace to you 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 as I remember 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 faith in the Lord Jesus and your love 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 the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in 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. | 7I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for 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, | 8So, although I have quite a lot of confidence in Christ and could command you to do what is proper, |
| 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 would rather appeal to you on the basis of love--I, Paul, an old man and even now a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus-- |
| 10I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. | 10I am appealing to you concerning my child, whose spiritual father I have become during my imprisonment, that is, Onesimus, |
| 11(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) | 11who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you and me. |
| 12I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. | 12I have sent him (who is my very heart) back to you. |
| 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 so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. |
| 14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. | 14However, without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your good deed would not be out of compulsion, but from your own willingness. |
| 15For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, | 15For perhaps it was for this reason that he was separated from you for a little while, so that you would have him back eternally, |
| 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 dear brother. He is especially so to me, and even more so to you now, both humanly speaking and in the Lord. |
| 17So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. | 17Therefore if you regard me as a partner, accept him as you would me. |
| 18If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. | 18Now if he has defrauded you of anything or owes you anything, charge what he owes to me. |
| 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, have written this letter with my own hand: I will repay it. I could also mention that you owe me your very self. |
| 20Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. | 20Yes, brother, let me have some benefit 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 was confident that you would obey, I wrote to you, because I knew that you would do even more than what I am asking you to do. |
| 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. | 22At the same time also, prepare a place for me to stay, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given back to you. |
| 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, | 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you. |
| 24and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. | 24Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my colaborers, greet you too. |
| 25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. | 25May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. |
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