| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, | 1From: Paul, a prisoner of the Messiah Jesus, and Timothy our brother. To: Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, |
| 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 in your house. |
| 3Grace to you and peace 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 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 keep hearing about your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. |
| 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 partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every blessing that is ours in the Messiah. |
| 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 received considerable joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed, brother, through you. |
| 8Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, | 8For this reason, although in the Messiah I have complete freedom to order you to do what is proper, |
| 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 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 appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, | 10appeal to you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. |
| 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 very useful both to you and to me. |
| 12I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, | 12As I send him back, it's like I'm coming along with him. |
| 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 he could serve me in your place 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. | 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 he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, | 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—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 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. |
| 17If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. | 17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. |
| 18But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. | 18If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it 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, 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 joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. | 20Yes, brother, I desire this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Messiah! |
| 21Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. | 21Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you because I know that you will do even more than I ask. |
| 22But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted 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, |
| 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. | 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. |
| 25The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. | 25May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be with your spirit! Amen. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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