Philemon 1
1 Paul a prisoner of Iesus Christ, and our brother Timotheus, vnto Philemon our deare friende, and fellowe helper,
From Paul, now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, a fellow follower of the Lord.
2 And to our deare sister Apphia, and to Archippus our fellowe souldier, and to the Church that is in thine house:
To our dear friend and fellow worker Philemon, to our sister Apphia, to our fellow soldier Archippus; and to the church that meets at Philemon’s house;
3 Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ.
may God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.
4 I giue thanks to my God, making mention alwaies of thee in my praiers,
I always mention you in my prayers and thank God for you,
5 (When I heare of thy loue and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Iesus, and towarde all Saintes)
because I hear of the love and the faith which you show, not only to the Lord Jesus, but also to all his people;
6 That the fellowship of thy faith may bee made effectuall, and that whatsoeuer good thing is in you through Christ Iesus, may be knowen.
and I pray that your participation in the faith may result in action, as you come to a fuller realization of everything that is good and Christlike in us.
7 For we haue great ioy and consolation in thy loue, because by thee, brother, the Saintes bowels are comforted.
I have indeed found great joy and encouragement in your love, knowing, as I do, how the hearts of Christ’s people have been cheered, friend, by you.
8 Wherefore, though I bee very bolde in Christ to commaund thee that which is conuenient,
And so, though my union with Christ enables me, with all confidence, to dictate the course that you should adopt,
9 Yet for loues sake I rather beseeche thee, though I be as I am, euen Paul aged, and euen nowe a prisoner for Iesus Christ.
yet the claims of love make me prefer to plead with you – yes, even me, Paul, though I am an ambassador for Christ Jesus and, now a prisoner for him as well.
10 I beseeche thee for my sonne Onesimus, whome I haue begotten in my bondes,
I plead with you for this child of mine, Onesimus, to whom, in my prison, I have become a father.
11 Which in times past was to thee vnprofitable, but nowe profitable both to thee and to me,
Once he was of little service to you, but now he has become of great service, not only to you, but to me as well;
12 Whome I haue sent againe: thou therefore receiue him, that is mine owne bowels,
and I am sending him back to you with this letter – though it is like tearing out of my heart.
13 Whom I woulde haue reteined with mee, that in thy steade he might haue ministred vnto me in the bondes of the Gospel.
For my own sake I should like to keep him with me, so that, while I am in prison for the good news, he might attend to my wants on your behalf.
14 But without thy minde woulde I doe nothing, that thy benefite should not be as it were of necessitie, but willingly.
But I do not wish to do anything without your consent, because I want your generosity to be voluntary and not, as it were, compulsory.
15 It may be that he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receiue him for euer, (aiōnios g166)
It may be that he was separated from you for an hour, for this reason, so that you might have him back for ever, (aiōnios g166)
16 Not now as a seruant, but aboue a seruant, euen as a brother beloued, specially to me: howe much more then vnto thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord?
no longer as a slave, but as something better – a dearly loved friend and follower of the Lord, especially dear to me, and how much more so to you, not only as a person, but as your fellow Christian!
17 If therefore thou count our thinges common, receiue him as my selfe.
If, then, you count me your friend, receive him as you would me.
18 If he hath hurt thee, or oweth thee ought, that put on mine accounts.
If he has caused you any loss, or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19 I Paul haue written this with mine owne hande: I will recompense it, albeit I doe not say to thee, that thou owest moreouer vnto me euen thine owne selfe.
I, Paul, put my own hand to it – I will repay you myself. I say nothing about your owing me your self.
20 Yea, brother, let mee obteine this pleasure of thee in the Lord: comfort my bowels in the Lord.
Yes, friend, let me gain something from you because of your union with the Lord. Cheer my heart by your Christlike spirit.
21 Trusting in thine obedience, I wrote vnto thee, knowing that thou wilt do eue more then I say.
Even as I write, I have such confidence in your compliance with my wishes, that I am sure that you will do even more than I am asking.
22 Moreouer also prepare mee lodging: for I trust through your prayers I shall be freely giuen vnto you.
Please also get a lodging ready for me, for I hope that I will be given back to you all in answer to your prayers.
23 There salute thee Epaphras my felowe prisoner in Christ Iesus,
Epaphras, who is my fellow prisoner for Christ Jesus, sends you his greeting;
24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my felowe helpers.
and Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers, send theirs.
25 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your spirit, Amen. ‘Written from Rome to Philemon, and send by Onesimus a seruant.’
May the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ rest on your souls.
