| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, | 1Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker |
| 2to the beloved Apphia, 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: |
| 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 4I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, | 4I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, |
| 5hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, | 5because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, |
| 6that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. | 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 we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. | 7For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. |
| 8Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, | 8Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, |
| 9yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— | 9yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— |
| 10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, | 10I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. |
| 11who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. | 11(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) |
| 12I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, | 12I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. |
| 13whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains 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, |
| 14But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, 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. |
| 15For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him 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 more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. | 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. |
| 17If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. | 17So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. |
| 18But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. | 18If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. |
| 19I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. | 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, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. | 20Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. |
| 21Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. | 21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. |
| 22But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted 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 Christ Jesus, greets you, | 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, |
| 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. | 24and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. |
| 25The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. | 25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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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