Parallel Bible results for "philemon 1:4-14"

Philemon 1:4-14

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

4 [Philemon,] I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers because

5 I hear about your faithfulness to the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people.

6 As you share the faith you have in common with others, I pray that you may come to have a complete knowledge of every blessing we have in Christ.

7 Your love [for God's people] gives me a lot of joy and encouragement. You, brother, have comforted God's people.

8 Christ makes me bold enough to order you to do the right thing.

9 However, I would prefer to make an appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner for Christ Jesus,

10 appeal to you for my child Onesimus [Useful]. I became his spiritual father here in prison.

11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful to both of us.

12 I am sending him back to you. This is like sending you a part of myself.

13 I wanted to keep him here with me. Then he could have served me in your place while I am in prison for spreading the Good News.

14 Yet, I didn't want to do anything without your consent. I want you to do this favor for me out of your own free will without feeling forced to do it.

New International Version NIV

4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,

5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.

6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.

7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do,

9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—

10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.

11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you.

13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.

14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.