Common English Bible CEB
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 From Paul, who is a prisoner for the cause of Christ Jesus, and our brother Timothy. To Philemon our dearly loved coworker,
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Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Phile'mon our beloved fellow worker
2 Apphia our sister, Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church that meets in your house.
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and Ap'phia our sister and Archip'pus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 May the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 Philemon, I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers
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I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,
5 because I've heard of your love and faithfulness, which you have both for the Lord Jesus and for all God's people.
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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 partnership in the faith might become effective by an understanding of all that is good among us in Christ.
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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 great joy and encouragement because of your love, since the hearts of God's people are refreshed by your actions, my brother.
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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, though I have enough confidence in Christ to command you to do the right thing,
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Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,
9 I would rather appeal to you through love. I, Paul—an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus—
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yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you--I, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus--
10 appeal to you for my child Onesimus. I became his father in the faith during my time in prison.
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I appeal to you for my child, Ones'imus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment.
11 He was useless to you before, but now he is useful to both of us.
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(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)
12 I'm sending him back to you, which is like sending you my own heart.
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I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.
13 I considered keeping him with me so that he might serve me in your place during my time in prison because of the gospel.
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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 didn't want to do anything without your consent so that your act of kindness would occur willingly and not under pressure.
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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 Maybe this is the reason that Onesimus was separated from you for a while so that you might have him back forever—
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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 more than a slave—that is, as a dearly loved brother. He is especially a dearly loved brother to me. How much more can he become a brother to you, personally and spiritually in the Lord!
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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 really consider me a partner, welcome Onesimus as if you were welcoming me.
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So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
18 If he has harmed you in any way or owes you money, charge it to my account.
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If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
19 I, Paul, will pay it back to you (I'm writing this with my own hand). Of course, I won't mention that you owe me your life.
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I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it--to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.
20 Yes, brother, I want this favor from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ.
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Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 I'm writing to you, confident of your obedience and knowing that you will do more than what I ask.
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Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
22 Also, one more thing—prepare a guest room for me. I hope that I will be released from prison to be with you because of your prayers.
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At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted to you.
23 Epaphras, who is in prison with me for the cause of Christ Jesus, greets you,
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Ep'aphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,
24 as well as my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke.
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and so do Mark, Aristar'chus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.