| International Standard Version | English Standard Version |
| 1From: Paul, a prisoner of the Messiah Jesus, and Timothy our brother. To: Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, | 1Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker |
| 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. | 2and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: |
| 3May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours! | 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 4I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, | 4I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, |
| 5because I keep hearing about your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. | 5because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, |
| 6I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every blessing that is ours in the Messiah. | 6and 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. |
| 7For I have received considerable joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed, brother, through you. | 7For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. |
| 8For this reason, although in the Messiah I have complete freedom to order you to do what is proper, | 8Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, |
| 9I prefer to make my appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner of the Messiah Jesus, | 9yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— |
| 10appeal to you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. | 10I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. |
| 11Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful both to you and to me. | 11(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) |
| 12As I send him back, it's like I'm coming along with him. | 12I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. |
| 13I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel. | 13I 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, |
| 14Yet I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be something forced, but voluntary. | 14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. |
| 15Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you could have him back forever, | 15For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, |
| 16no longer as a slave but better than a slave—as a dear brother, especially to me, but even more so to you, both as a person and as a believer. | 16no longer as a bondservant 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. |
| 17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. | 17So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. |
| 18If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. | 18If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. |
| 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. (I will not mention to you that you owe me your very life.) | 19I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. |
| 20Yes, brother, I desire this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Messiah! | 20Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. |
| 21Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you because I know that you will do even more than I ask. | 21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. |
| 22Meanwhile, prepare a guest room for me, too, for I am hoping through your prayers to be returned to you. | 22At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. |
| 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in the Messiah Jesus, sends you greetings, | 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, |
| 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. | 24and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. |
| 25May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be with your spirit! Amen. | 25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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