Philemon 1, side by side

¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,

¹Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,

²to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:

²And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:

³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,

⁴I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,

⁵because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.

⁵Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

⁶I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.

⁶That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

⁷I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

⁷For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

⁸So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,

⁸Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,

⁹I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.

⁹Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

¹⁰I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.

¹⁰I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:

¹¹Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

¹¹Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

¹²I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.

¹²Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:

¹³I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

¹³Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

¹⁴But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.

¹⁴But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

¹⁵For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good—

¹⁵For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;

¹⁶no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.

¹⁶Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

¹⁷So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.

¹⁷If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.

¹⁸But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.

¹⁸If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;

¹⁹I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

¹⁹I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.

²⁰Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

²⁰Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

²¹Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

²¹Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.

²²In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

²²But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.

²³Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,

²³There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;

²⁴as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁴Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

²⁵The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

²⁵The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.