| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, | 1From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear friend and colaborer, |
| 2to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to 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, making mention of you always in my prayers, | 4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, |
| 5hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, | 5because I hear of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. |
| 6that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. | 6I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ. |
| 7For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. | 7I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. |
| 8Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, | 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 rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— | 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 son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, | 10I am appealing to you concerning my child, whose spiritual father I have become during my imprisonment, that is, Onesimus, |
| 11who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. | 11who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you and me. |
| 12I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, | 12I have sent him (who is my very heart) back to you. |
| 13whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains 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 without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. | 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 perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him 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 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. | 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. |
| 17If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. | 17Therefore if you regard me as a partner, accept him as you would me. |
| 18But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. | 18Now if he has defrauded you of anything or owes you anything, charge what he owes to me. |
| 19I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. | 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, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. | 20Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. |
| 21Having confidence in 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. |
| 22But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted 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, greets you, | 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you. |
| 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. | 24Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my colaborers, greet you too. |
| 25The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. | 25May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. |
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