| International Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1From: Paul, a prisoner of the Messiah Jesus, and Timothy our brother. To: Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, | 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker-- |
| 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. | 2also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier--and to the church that meets in your home: |
| 3May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours! | 3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 4I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, | 4I always thank my God as 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 about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. |
| 6I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every blessing that is ours in the Messiah. | 6I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share 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. | 7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people. |
| 8For this reason, although in the Messiah I have complete freedom to order you to do what is proper, | 8Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, |
| 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 I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul--an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus-- |
| 10appeal to you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. | 10that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. |
| 11Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful both to you and to me. | 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. |
| 12As I send him back, it's like I'm coming along with him. | 12I am sending him--who is my very heart--back to you. |
| 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 liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains 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 did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. |
| 15Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you could have him back forever, | 15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was 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 slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. |
| 17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. | 17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. |
| 18If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. | 18If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. |
| 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, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back--not to mention that you owe me your very self. |
| 20Yes, brother, I desire this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Messiah! | 20I do wish, brother, that I may have 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 ask. |
| 22Meanwhile, prepare a guest room for me, too, for I am hoping through your prayers to be returned to you. | 22And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. |
| 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in the Messiah Jesus, sends you greetings, | 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. |
| 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. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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