International Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
1From: Paul, a prisoner of the Messiah Jesus, and Timothy our brother. To: Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, | 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, |
2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. | 2and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: |
3May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours! | 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
4I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, | 4I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, |
5because I keep hearing about your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. | 5because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; |
6I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every blessing that is ours in the Messiah. | 6and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake. |
7For I have received considerable joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed, brother, through you. | 7For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. |
8For this reason, although in the Messiah I have complete freedom to order you to do what is proper, | 8Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, |
9I prefer to make my appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner of the Messiah Jesus, | 9yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you-- since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus-- |
10appeal to you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. | 10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, |
11Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful both to you and to me. | 11who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. |
12As I send him back, it's like I'm coming along with him. | 12I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, |
13I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel. | 13whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; |
14Yet I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be something forced, but voluntary. | 14but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. |
15Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you could have him back forever, | 15For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, |
16no longer as a slave but better than a slave—as a dear brother, especially to me, but even more so to you, both as a person and as a believer. | 16no longer as a slave, but more than 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, welcome him as you would welcome me. | 17If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. |
18If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. | 18But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; |
19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. (I will not mention to you that you owe me your very life.) | 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). |
20Yes, brother, I desire this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Messiah! | 20Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. |
21Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you because I know that you will do even more than I ask. | 21Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. |
22Meanwhile, prepare a guest room for me, too, for I am hoping through your prayers to be returned to you. | 22At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. |
23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in the Messiah 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, Luke, my fellow workers. |
25May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be with your spirit! Amen. | 25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
|