English Standard Version ESV
New Living Translation NLT
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker
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This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. I am writing to Philemon, our beloved co-worker,
2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
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and to our sister Apphia, and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that meets in your house.
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,
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I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon,
5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints,
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because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people.
6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.
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And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.
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.
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Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.
8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,
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That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do.
9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you--I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus--
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But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.
10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus,whose father I became in my imprisonment.
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I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison.
11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)
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Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us.
12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.
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I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.
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,
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I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf.
14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.
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But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced.
15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever,
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It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever.
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.
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He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
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So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
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If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it 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.
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I, PAUL, WRITE THIS WITH MY OWN HAND: I WILL REPAY IT. AND I WON’T MENTION THAT YOU OWE ME YOUR VERY SOUL !
20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
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Yes, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
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I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more!
22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
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One more thing—please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,
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Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings.
24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
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So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.