| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear friend and colaborer, | 1From: Paul, a prisoner of the Messiah 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 that meets in your house. | 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. |
| 3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! | 3May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours! |
| 4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, | 4I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, |
| 5because I hear of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. | 5because I keep hearing about your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. |
| 6I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ. | 6I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every blessing that is ours in the Messiah. |
| 7I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. | 7For I have received considerable joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed, brother, through you. |
| 8So, although I have quite a lot of confidence in Christ and could command you to do what is proper, | 8For this reason, although in the Messiah I have complete freedom to order you to do what is proper, |
| 9I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love--I, Paul, an old man and even now a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus-- | 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, |
| 10I am appealing to you concerning my child, whose spiritual father I have become during my imprisonment, that is, Onesimus, | 10appeal to you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. |
| 11who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you and me. | 11Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful both to you and to me. |
| 12I have sent him (who is my very heart) back to you. | 12As I send him back, it's like I'm coming along with him. |
| 13I wanted to keep him so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. | 13I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel. |
| 14However, without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your good deed would not be out of compulsion, but from your own willingness. | 14Yet I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be something forced, but voluntary. |
| 15For perhaps it was for this reason that he was separated from you for a little while, so that you would have him back eternally, | 15Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you could have him back forever, |
| 16no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a dear brother. He is especially so to me, and even more so to you now, both humanly speaking and in the Lord. | 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. |
| 17Therefore if you regard me as a partner, accept him as you would me. | 17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. |
| 18Now if he has defrauded you of anything or owes you anything, charge what he owes to me. | 18If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. |
| 19I, Paul, have written this letter with my own hand: I will repay it. I could also mention that you owe me your very self. | 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.) |
| 20Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. | 20Yes, brother, I desire this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Messiah! |
| 21Since I was confident that you would obey, I wrote to you, because I knew that you would do even more than what I am asking you to do. | 21Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you because I know that you will do even more than I ask. |
| 22At the same time also, prepare a place for me to stay, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given back to you. | 22Meanwhile, prepare a guest room for me, too, for I am hoping through your prayers to be returned to you. |
| 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you. | 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in the Messiah Jesus, sends you greetings, |
| 24Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my colaborers, greet you too. | 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. |
| 25May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. | 25May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be with your spirit! Amen. |
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