English Standard Version ESV
Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker
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Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, a brother: to Philemon, our beloved and fellow labourer,
2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
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And to Appia, our dearest sister, and to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church which is in thy house.
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,
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I give thanks to my God, always making a remembrance of thee in my prayers.
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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Hearing of thy charity and faith, which thou hast in the Lord Jesus and towards all the saints:
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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That the communication of thy faith may be made evident in the acknowledgment of every good work that is in you in Christ Jesus.
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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For I have had great joy and consolation in thy charity, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed by thee, brother.
8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,
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Wherefore, though I have much confidence in Christ Jesus to command thee that which is to the purpose:
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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For charity sake I rather beseech, whereas thou art such a one, as Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also of Jesus Christ.
10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus,whose father I became in my imprisonment.
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I beseech thee for my son, whom I have begotten in my bands, Onesimus,
11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)
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Who hath been heretofore unprofitable to thee but now is profitable both to me and thee:
12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.
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Whom I have sent back to thee. And do thou receive him as my own bowels.
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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Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered to me in the bands of the gospel.
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 without thy counsel I would do nothing: that thy good deed might not be as it were of necessity, but voluntary.
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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For perhaps he therefore departed for a season from thee that thou mightest receive him again for ever:
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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Not now as a servant, but instead of a servant, a most dear brother, especially to me. But how much more to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord?
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
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If therefore thou count me a partner, receive him as myself.
18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
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And if he hath wronged thee in any thing or is in thy debt, put that to my account.
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 have written it with my own hand: I will repay it: not to say to thee that thou owest me thy own self also.
20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
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Yea, brother. May I enjoy thee in the Lord! Refresh my bowels in the Lord.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
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Trusting in thy obedience, I have written to thee: knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
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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But withal prepare me also a lodging. For I hope that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,
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There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus:
24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
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Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow labourers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.