1 P aul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon our beloved and 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 a nd Apphia the beloved, and Archippus our fellow-soldier, and the assembly in thy 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 give thanks to my God, always making mention of thee in my prayers,

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

5 h earing of thy love and faith that thou hast unto 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 thy faith may become working in the full knowledge of every good thing that in you toward 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 thy love, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed through thee, 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 W herefore, having in Christ much boldness to command thee that which is fit --

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

9 b ecause of the love I rather entreat, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now 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 entreat thee concerning my child -- whom I did beget in my bonds -- Onesimus,

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

11 w ho once was to thee unprofitable, and now is profitable to me and to thee,

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

12 w hom I did send again, and thou him (that is, my own bowels) receive,

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

13 w hom I did wish to retain to myself, that in thy behalf he might minister to me in the bonds of 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 a nd apart from thy mind I willed to do nothing, that as of necessity thy good deed may not be, but of willingness,

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 because of this he did depart for an hour, that age-duringly thou mayest have him,

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 more as a servant, but above a servant -- a brother beloved, especially to me, and how much more to thee, 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, with me thou hast fellowship, receive him as me,

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

18 a nd if he did hurt to thee, or doth owe anything, this to me be reckoning;

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

19 I , Paul did write with my hand, I -- I will repay; that I may not say that also thyself, besides, to me thou dost owe.

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, may I have profit of thee in the Lord; refresh my bowels 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 been confident in thy obedience I did write to thee, having known that also above what I may say thou wilt do;

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

22 a nd at the same time also prepare for me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I shall be granted 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 S alute thee doth Epaphras, (my fellow-captive in Christ Jesus,)

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

24 M arkus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lukas, my fellow-workmen!

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

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

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