Philemon 1

1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear helper in the faith,

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother: To Philemon our dearly-loved fellow labourer--

2 And to Apphia, our sister, and to Archippus, our brother in God's army, and to the church in your house:

and to our sister Apphia and our comrade Archippus--as well as to the Church in your house.

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May grace be granted to you all, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give praise to God at all times and make prayer for you,

I give continual thanks to my God while making mention of you, my brother, in my prayers,

5 Hearing of the love and the faith which you have to the Lord Jesus and to all the saints;

because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have towards the Lord Jesus and which you manifest towards all God's people;

6 That the faith which you have in common with them may be working with power, in the knowledge of every good thing in you, for Christ.

praying as I do, that their participation in your faith may result in others fully recognizing all the right affection that is in us toward Christ.

7 For I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been made strong again through you, brother.

For I have found great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of God's people have been, and are, refreshed through you, my brother.

8 And so, though I might, in the name of Christ, give you orders to do what is right,

Therefore, though I might with Christ's authority speak very freely and order you to do what is fitting,

9 Still, because of love, in place of an order, I make a request to you, I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner of Christ Jesus:

it is for love's sake that--instead of that--although I am none other than Paul the aged, and am now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,

10 My request is for my child Onesimus, the child of my chains,

I entreat you on behalf of my own child whose father I have become while in my chains--I mean Onesimus.

11 Who in the past was of no profit to you, but now is of profit to you and to me:

Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me.

12 Whom I have sent back to you, him who is my very heart:

I am sending him back to you, though in so doing I send part of myself.

13 Though my desire was to keep him with me, to be my servant in the chains of the good news, in your place:

It was my wish to keep him at my side for him to attend to my wants, as your representative, during my imprisonment for the Good News.

14 But without your approval I would do nothing; so that your good works might not be forced, but done freely from your heart.

Only I wished to do nothing without your consent, so that his kind action of yours might not be done under pressure, but might be a voluntary one.

15 For it is possible that for this reason he was parted from you for a time, so that you might have him for ever; (aiōnios g166)

For perhaps it was for this reason he was parted from you for a time, that you might receive him back wholly and for ever yours; (aiōnios g166)

16 No longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother, very dear to me specially, but much more to you, in the flesh as well as in the Lord.

no longer as a slave, but as something better than a slave--a brother peculiarly dear to me, and even dearer to you, both as a servant and as a fellow Christian.

17 If then you take me to be your friend and brother, take him in as myself.

If therefore you regard me as a comrade, receive him as if he were I myself.

18 If he has done you any wrong or is in debt to you for anything, put it to my account.

And if he was ever dishonest or is in your debt, debit me with the amount.

19 I, Paul, writing this myself, say, I will make payment to you: and I do not say to you that you are in debt to me even for your life.

I Paul write this with my own hand--I will pay you in full. (I say nothing of the fact that you owe me even your own self.)

20 So brother, let me have joy of you in the Lord: give new life to my heart in Christ.

Yes, brother, do me this favour for the Lord's sake. Refresh my heart in Christ.

21 Being certain that you will do my desire, I am writing to you, in the knowledge that you will do even more than I say.

I write to you in the full confidence that you will meet my wishes, for I know you will do even more than I say.

22 And make a room ready for me; for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be given to you.

And at the same time provide accommodation for me; for I hope that through your prayers I shall be permitted to come to you.

23 Epaphras, my brother-prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his love;

Greetings to you, my brother, from Epaphras my fellow prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus;

24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my brother-workers.

and from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. So be it.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit of every one of you.