| English Standard Version | King James Bible |
| 1Paul, a prisoner for 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, |
| 2and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: | 2And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy 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 always when I remember you in my prayers, | 4I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, |
| 5because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, | 5Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; |
| 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. | 6That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. |
| 7For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. | 7For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother. |
| 8Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, | 8Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, |
| 9yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— | 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 in my imprisonment. | 10I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: |
| 11(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) | 11Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: |
| 12I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. | 12Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels: |
| 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, | 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 preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. | 14But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. |
| 15For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, | 15For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; |
| 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. | 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 your partner, receive him as you would receive me. | 17If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. |
| 18If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that 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—to say nothing of your owing me even your own 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, I want 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 say. | 21Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say. |
| 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. | 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 greetings to you, | 23There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus; |
| 24and so 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. |
| 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. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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