Philemon
Complete Jewish Bible
1 From: Sha’ul, a prisoner for the sake of the Messiah Yeshua, and brother Timothy
To: Our dear fellow-worker Philemon, 2 along with sister Apphia, our fellow-soldier Archippus and the congregation that gathers in your home:
3 Grace and shalom to you from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
4 I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers, Philemon, 5 for I am hearing about your love and commitment to the Lord Yeshua and to all God’s people. 6 I pray that the fellowship based on your commitment will produce full understanding of every good thing that is ours in union with the Messiah. 7 For your love has given me much joy and encouragement. Brother, you have refreshed the hearts of God’s people.
8 Therefore, I would not hesitate, in union with the Messiah, to direct you to do the thing you ought to do. 9 But since I Sha’ul, am the kind of person I am, an old man and now for the Messiah Yeshua’s sake a prisoner besides, I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. 10 My request to you concerns my son, of whom I became the father while here in prison, Onesimus. 11 His name means “useful,” and although he was once useless to you, he has now become most useful — not only to you but also to me; 12 so that in returning him to you I am sending a part of my very heart. 13 I would dearly have loved to keep him with me, in order for him to serve me in your place while I am in prison because of the Good News. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do for me may be voluntary and not forced.
15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a brief period was so that you could have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, as a dear brother. And that he is, especially to me. But how much dearer he must be to you, both humanly and in union with the Lord!
17 So if you are in fellowship with me, receive him as you would me. 18 And if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19 I, Sha’ul, write with my own hand. I will repay it.
(I won’t mention, of course, that you owe me your very life.) 20 Yes, brother, please do me this favor in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Messiah.
21 Trusting that you will respond positively, I write knowing that you will indeed do more than I am asking.
22 One more thing: please get a room ready for me. For I hope that through the prayers of you all God will give me a chance to visit you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner for the sake of the Messiah Yeshua, sends greetings to you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow-workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with your spirit.
Philemon
Orthodox Jewish Bible
1 Sha’ul, a prisoner of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua and Timotiyos acheinu [(our) brother]. To Philemon ha’ahuv (the beloved) and our fellow po’el (worker)
2 And to Apphia achoteinu (our sister) and to Archippus our chaver leneshek (comrade arms) and to the Kehillah in your bais.
3 Chen v’Chesed Hashem and Shalom Hashem to you from Elohim Avinu and from Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua.
4 I always offer a bracha to my G-d when I mention you in my tefillos (prayers),
5 Because I hear of your ahavah (agapé) and emunah, which you have for Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua and for all the Kadoshim.
6 [I pray] that your emunah (faith) being shared in Moshiach’s kiruv rechokim (bringing near the far away ones) may become effective in the da’as of every mitzvah we may do for Moshiach.
7 For I had simcha gedolah (much joy) and chizzuk (encouragement) because of your ahavah, for the levavot of the Kadoshim have been refreshed through you, Ach b’Moshiach.
8 Therefore, though I have much boldness in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach that I could in fact order you to do your chovah musarit (moral duty) of avodas hakodesh (holy service),
9 Yet I would rather make an appeal on the mekor (basis) of ahavah (agapé)‖I, [Rav] Sha’ul, the Zaken (Elder) but also a prisoner of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.
10 I appeal to you concerning beni, having "fathered" him (to a new birth) while in bais hasohar (prison)‖that is, Onesimus (T.N. the slave boy Onesimus’ name means "Useful")
11 The one once "Useless" to you, but, now, both to you and to me "Useful" (Onesimus).
12 I am sending him who is my very lev (heart) back to you.
13 I was wanting to detain him with me, in order that he might function as a keli kodesh (minister), ministering to me in your place, as your murshe (proxy), while I’m detained in the imprisonment of the Besuras HaGeulah.
14 But I wanted to do nothing without your haskamah (consent, approval), in order that the mitzvah you do might not be meshabed (caused to be obligated) or forced, but voluntary.
15 Eppis (for some reason) perhaps he was separated from you for a while in order that you might have him back for Yamim HaOlam,
16 No longer as a bond servant, but, more than a bond servant, an ach ahuv (a beloved brother [in Moshiach]), especially to me, and how much more to you, both as a man and in Adoneinu.
17 So if you consider me partnered to you as a chaver in our [common orthodox Jewish emunah], receive him as you would me.
18 But if in anything he wronged you or owes you, charge this to my cheshbon (account, bill).
19 I, [Rav] Sha’ul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay. This is not to meorer (point out) the fact that on your cheshbon you owe me your very neshamah.
20 Yes, Ach b’Moshiach, I would have some "usefulness" from you in Adoneinu. Refresh my lev in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
21 Confident of you as one who is shomer mitzvot, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even above what I say.
22 Also, this too, prepare a heimishe mekom linah (guest room, lodging place) for me, for I have the tikvah (hope) that through your tefillos I will be restored to you.
23 Drishat Shalom to you from Epaphras, my coprisoner in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.
24 Drishat Shalom, also, from Markos, Aristarchus, Demas, and Lukas, my fellow po’alim (workers).
25 The Chen v’Chesed Hashem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua be with your neshamah.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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