1 P aul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), and our brother Timothy, to Philemon our dearly beloved sharer with us in our work,

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker,

2 A nd to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your house:

3 G race (spiritual blessing and favor) be to all of you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God for you always when I mention you in my prayers,

I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

5 B ecause I continue to hear of your love and of your loyal faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

hearing of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;

6 t hat the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good that is ours in Christ Jesus.

that the fellowship of your faith may become effective, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus.

7 F or I have derived great joy and comfort and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been cheered and refreshed through you, brother.

For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

8 T herefore, though I have abundant boldness in Christ to charge you to do what is fitting and required and your duty to do,

Therefore though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate,

9 Y et for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you just for what I am—I, Paul, an ambassador and an old man and now a prisoner for His sake also—

yet for love’s sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whom I have begotten while a captive in these chains.

I beg you for my child, whom I have become the father of in my chains, Onesimus,

11 O nce he was unprofitable to you, but now he is indeed profitable to you as well as to me.

who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.

12 I am sending him back to you in his own person, my very heart.

I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,

13 I would have chosen to keep him with me, in order that he might minister to my needs in your stead during my imprisonment for the Gospel’s sake.

whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News.

14 B ut it has been my wish to do nothing about it without first consulting you and getting your consent, in order that your benevolence might not seem to be the result of compulsion or of pressure but might be voluntary.

But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.

15 P erhaps it was for this reason that he was separated for a while, that you might have him back as yours forever,

For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while, that you would have him forever,

16 N ot as a slave any longer but as more than a slave, as a brother, especially dear to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 I f then you consider me a partner and a comrade in fellowship, welcome and receive him as you would me.

If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.

18 A nd if he has done you any wrong in any way or owes anything, charge that to my account.

But if he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, put that to my account.

19 I , Paul, write it with my own hand, I promise to repay it —and that is to say nothing that you owe me your very self!

I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides).

20 Y es, brother, let me have some profit from you in the Lord. Cheer and refresh my heart in Christ.

Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.

21 I write to you confident of your obedient compliance, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.

22 A t the same time prepare a guest room to me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted to you.

Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

23 G reetings to you from Epaphras, my fellow prisoner here in Christ Jesus (the Messiah),

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

24 A nd Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25 T he grace (blessing and favor) of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with your spirit. Amen (so be it).

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.