1 P aul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker,

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

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

And to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

3 G race to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

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

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

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

Because 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).

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

that 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.

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

For 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.

8 T herefore though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate,

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

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

Yet 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—

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

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

11 w ho once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.

Once he was unprofitable to you, but now he is indeed profitable to you as well as to me.

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

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

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

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.

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

But 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.

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

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

16 n o 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.

Not 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.

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

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

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

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

19 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).

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

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

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