Philemon 1 Parallel Bible Translations

Philemon 1 ▼
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1 This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. I am writing to Philemon, our beloved co-worker, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker—
2 and to our sister Apphia, and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that meets in your house. and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:
3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,
5 because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.
6 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. and 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. I 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.
7 Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
8 That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do,
9 But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus. yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— yet 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—
10 I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.
11 Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart. I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you.
13 I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. I 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, I 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.
14 But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.
15 It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever—
16 He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. no 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. no 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.
17 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
18 If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it. And I won’t mention that you owe me your very soul ! I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
20 Yes, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
21 I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more! Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 One more thing—please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon. At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.
24 So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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