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Philemon 8-14
New International Version
Philemon 8-14
New International Version
Paul’s Plea for Onesimus
8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you(A) on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner(B) of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son(C) Onesimus,[a](D) who became my son while I was in chains.(E) 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains(F) for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced(G) but would be voluntary.
Footnotes
- Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful.
Philemon 8-14
English Standard Version
Philemon 8-14
English Standard Version
Paul's Plea for Onesimus
8 Accordingly, (A)though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do (B)what is required, 9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now (C)a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for (D)my child, (E)Onesimus,[a] (F)whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me (G)on your behalf (H)during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be (I)by compulsion but of your own accord.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful (see verse 11) or beneficial (see verse 20)
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.