Philemon 1
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker,
These things speak thou, and exhort, and inculcate, with all authority; and let no one despise thee.
2 to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your house:
and to our beloved Apphia, and to Archippus a laborer with us, and to the church in thy house.
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with you, and peace from God our father, and from our Lord Jesus the Messiah.
4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,
I thank my God always, and remember thee in my prayers,
5 hearing of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,
lo, from the time that I heard of thy faith, and of the love thou hast towards our Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints;
6 that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus.
that there may be a fellowship of thy faith, yielding fruits in works, and in the knowledge of all the good things ye possess in Jesus the Messiah.
7 For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
For we have great joy and consolation, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thy love.
8 Therefore though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate,
Therefore I might have great freedom In the Messiah, to enjoin upon thee the things that are right.
9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
But for love's sake, I earnestly beseech thee even I, Paul, who am aged, as thou knowest, and now also a prisoner for Jesus the Messiah.
10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have become the father of in my chains,
I beseech thee for my son, whom I had begotten in my bonds for Onesimus;
11 who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.
from whom formerly thou hadst no profit, but now very profitable will he be both to thee and to me; and whom I have sent to thee.
12 I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,
And receive thou him, as one begotten by me.
13 whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News.
For I was desirous to retain him with me, that he might minister to me in thy stead, in these bonds for the gospel.
14 But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.
But I would do nothing without consulting thee; lest thy benefit should be as if by compulsion, and not with thy pleasure.
15 For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while that you would have him forever, (aiōnios g166)
And, perhaps, also, he therefore departed from thee for a season, that thou mightest retain him for ever; (aiōnios g166)
16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
henceforth, not as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother dear to me, and much more to thee, both in the flesh and in our Lord?
17 If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.
If therefore thou art in fellowship with me, receive him as one of mine.
18 But if he has wronged you at all or owes you anything, put that to my account.
And if he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, place it to my account.
19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides).
I, Paul, have written it with my own hand, I will repay: not to say to thee, that to me thou owest thy ownself.
20 Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.
Yes, my brother, let me be refreshed by thee in our Lord: refresh thou my bowels in the Messiah.
21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.
Being confident that thou wilt hearken to me, I have written to thee: and I know that thou wilt do more than I say.
22 Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
And herewith, prepare also a house for me to lodge in; for I hope that, by your prayers, I shall be given to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
Epaphras, a fellow-captive with me in Jesus the Messiah, saluteth thee;
24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
and Mark, and Aristarchus, and Demas, and Luke, my coadjutors.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah be with your spirit, my brethren. Amen.
