Philemon, 1
1. From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus and from our brother Timothy; to our dear fellow worker Philemon,
1.
2. our sister Apphia, our fellow soldier Archippus and the church that meets in your house.
2. and Ap'phia our sister and Archip'pus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3. Grace and the peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. I always thank my God, mentioning you in my prayers,
4. I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,
5. because I hear of the love and the faith which you have for the Lord Jesus and for all God's holy people.
5. because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints,
6. I pray that your fellowship in faith may come to expression in full knowledge of all the good we can do for Christ.
6. and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ.
7. I have received much joy and encouragement by your love; you have set the hearts of God's holy people at rest.
7. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
8. Therefore, although in Christ I have no hesitations about telling you what your duty is,
8. Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,
9. I am rather appealing to your love, being what I am, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
9. yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you -- I, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus --
10. I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became while wearing these chains: I mean Onesimus.
10. I appeal to you for my child, Ones'imus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment.
11. He was of no use to you before, but now he is useful both to you and to me.
11. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)
12. I am sending him back to you -- that is to say, sending you my own heart.
12. I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.
13. I should have liked to keep him with me; he could have been a substitute for you, to help me while I am in the chains that the gospel has brought me.
13. I 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;
14. However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous.
14. but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will.
15. I suppose you have been deprived of Onesimus for a time, merely so that you could have him back for ever,
15. Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back for ever,
16. no longer as a slave, but something much better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, both on the natural plane and in the Lord.
16. no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17. So if you grant me any fellowship with yourself, welcome him as you would me;
17. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
18. if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, put it down to my account.
18. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
19. I am writing this in my own hand: I, Paul, shall pay it back -- I make no mention of a further debt, that you owe your very self to me!
19. I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it -- to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.
20. Well then, brother, I am counting on you, in the Lord; set my heart at rest, in Christ.
20. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21. I am writing with complete confidence in your compliance, sure that you will do even more than I ask.
21. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
22. There is another thing: will you get a place ready for me to stay in? I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you.
22. At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted to you.
23. Epaphras, a prisoner with me in Christ Jesus, sends his greetings;
23. Ep'aphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,
24. so do my fellow-workers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke.
24. and so do Mark, Aristar'chus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
25. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
