| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, | 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother: To Philemon our dear friend and coworker, |
| 2to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: | 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home. |
| 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 always thank my God when I mention 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 faith 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. | 6I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory 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 great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. |
| 8Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, | 8For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, |
| 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— | 9I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, |
| 10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, | 10appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I fathered him while I was in chains. |
| 11who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. | 11Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both 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 as a part of myself. |
| 13whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. | 13I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. |
| 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 didn't want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. |
| 15For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, | 15For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, |
| 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 slave, but more than a slave--as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but even 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 a partner, accept him as you would me. |
| 18But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. | 18And if he has wronged you in any way, 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--not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self. |
| 20Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. | 20Yes, brother, may I have joy 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. | 21Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing 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. | 22But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you. |
| 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, | 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, and so do |
| 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. | 24Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my coworkers. |
| 25The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. | 25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. |
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