1 P aul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,

Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon the beloved and our fellow-workman,

2 t o the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

and to the sister Apphia and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly which in thine house.

3 G race to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philemon’s Love and Faith

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

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

I thank my God, always making mention of thee at my prayers,

5 h earing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,

hearing of thy love and the faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints,

6 t hat the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

in such sort that thy participation in the faith should become operative in the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in us towards Christ.

7 F or we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. The Plea for Onesimus

For we have great thankfulness and encouragement through thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

8 T herefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,

Wherefore having much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fitting,

9 y et for love’s sake I rather appeal to you —being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ—

for love's sake I rather exhort, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also prisoner of Jesus Christ.

10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains,

I exhort thee for my child, whom I have begotten in bonds, Onesimus,

11 w ho once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

once unserviceable to thee, but now serviceable to thee and to me:

12 I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,

whom I have sent back to thee: him, that is, my bowels:

13 w hom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

whom I was desirous of keeping with myself, that for thee he might minister to me in the bonds of the glad tidings;

14 B ut without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

but I have wished to do nothing without thy mind, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness:

15 F or perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,

for perhaps for this reason he has been separated for a time, that thou mightest possess him fully for ever;

16 n o longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. Philemon’s Obedience Encouraged

not any longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother, specially to me, and how much rather to thee, both in flesh and in Lord?

17 I f then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.

If therefore thou holdest me to be a partner, receive him as me;

18 B ut if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.

but if he have wronged thee anything or owe anything, put this to my account.

19 I , Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.

I Paul have written with mine own hand; I will repay: that I say not to thee that thou owest even thine own self also to me.

20 Y es, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.

Yea, brother, I would have profit of thee in Lord: refresh my bowels in Christ.

21 H aving confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

Being confident of thine obedience, I have written to thee, knowing that thou wilt do even more than I say.

22 B ut, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you. Farewell

But withal prepare me also a lodging; for I hope that I shall be granted to you through your prayers.

23 E paphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

Epaphras salutes thee, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus;

24 a s do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workmen.

25 T he grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with your spirit.