| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker | 1This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. I am writing to Philemon, our beloved co-worker, |
| 2and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: | 2and to our sister Apphia, and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that meets in your house. |
| 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | 3May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer |
| 4I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, | 4I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, |
| 5because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, | 5because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. |
| 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. | 6And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have 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. | 7Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people. Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus |
| 8Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, | 8That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. |
| 9yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— | 9But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus. |
| 10I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. | 10I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. |
| 11(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) | 11Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. |
| 12I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. | 12I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart. |
| 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 here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. |
| 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. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. |
| 15For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, | 15It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. |
| 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. | 16He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. |
| 17So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. | 17So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. |
| 18If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. | 18If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it 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. | 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it. And I won’t mention that you owe me your very soul ! |
| 20Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. | 20Yes, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ. |
| 21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. | 21I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more! |
| 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. | 22One more thing—please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon. Paul’s Final Greetings |
| 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, | 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. |
| 24and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. | 24So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. |
| 25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. | 25May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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