English Standard Version

New Living Translation

Greeting

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker

Greetings from Paul

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,

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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 youra house.

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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.

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Philemon’s Love and Faith

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,

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Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer

I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon,

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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.

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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.a

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,

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Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus

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.

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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.b

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I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus,b 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.

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(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)

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Onesimusc hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us.

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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.

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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,

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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.

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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 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.

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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.

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no longer as a bondservantc but more than a bondservant, 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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 favord for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ.

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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!

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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.

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Final Greetings

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,

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Paul’s Final Greetings

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings.

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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.

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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.

Parallel

English Standard Version

New Living Translation

Philemon 1

Philemon 1