Greeting

Paul, (A)a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and (B)Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and (C)Archippus our (D)fellow soldier, and (E)the church in your house:

(F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon's Love and Faith

(G)I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I (H)hear of your love and (I)of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full (J)knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.[a] For I have derived much joy and (K)comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints (L)have been refreshed through you.

Paul's Plea for Onesimus

Accordingly, (M)though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do (N)what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now (O)a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for (P)my child, (Q)Onesimus,[b] (R)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 (S)on your behalf (T)during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be (U)by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why (V)he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 (W)no longer as a bondservant[c] but more than a bondservant, as (X)a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, (Y)both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me (Z)your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 (AA)I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. (AB)Refresh my heart in Christ.

21 (AC)Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for (AD)I am hoping that (AE)through your prayers (AF)I will be graciously given to you.

Final Greetings

23 (AG)Epaphras, my (AH)fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do (AI)Mark, (AJ)Aristarchus, (AK)Demas, and (AL)Luke, my fellow workers.

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

Footnotes

  1. Philemon 1:6 Or for Christ's service
  2. Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful (see verse 11) or beneficial (see verse 20)
  3. Philemon 1:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; twice in this verse

Tell of All His Wondrous Works

105 (A)Oh give thanks to the Lord; (B)call upon his name;
    (C)make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    (D)tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his (E)strength;
    (F)seek his presence continually!
Remember the (G)wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and (H)the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of (I)Abraham, his servant,
    children of Jacob, his (J)chosen ones!

He is the Lord our God;
    his (K)judgments are in all the earth.
He (L)remembers his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for (M)a thousand generations,
(N)the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his (O)sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to (P)Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, (Q)“To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as (R)your portion for an inheritance.”

12 When they were (S)few in number,
    of little account, and (T)sojourners in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
14 he (U)allowed no one to oppress them;
    he (V)rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, (W)“Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”

16 When he (X)summoned a famine on the land
    and (Y)broke all supply[a] of bread,
17 he had (Z)sent a man ahead of them,
    Joseph, who was (AA)sold as a slave.
18 His (AB)feet were hurt with fetters;
    his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until (AC)what he had said came to pass,
    the word of the Lord (AD)tested him.
20 (AE)The king sent and (AF)released him;
    the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he (AG)made him lord of his house
    and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to bind[b] his princes at his pleasure
    and to teach his elders wisdom.

23 Then (AH)Israel came to Egypt;
    Jacob (AI)sojourned in (AJ)the land of Ham.
24 And the Lord (AK)made his people very fruitful
    and made them stronger than their foes.
25 He (AL)turned their hearts to hate his people,
    to (AM)deal craftily with his servants.

26 He (AN)sent Moses, his servant,
    and Aaron, (AO)whom he had chosen.
27 (AP)They performed his signs among them
    and miracles in (AQ)the land of Ham.
28 He (AR)sent darkness, and made the land dark;
    they (AS)did not rebel[c] against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood
    and (AT)caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
    even in (AU)the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came (AV)swarms of flies,
    (AW)and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
    and fiery (AX)lightning bolts through their land.
33 He struck down their vines and fig trees,
    and (AY)shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the (AZ)locusts came,
    young locusts without number,
35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land
    and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He (BA)struck down all the firstborn in their land,
    (BB)the firstfruits of all their strength.

37 Then he brought out Israel with (BC)silver and gold,
    and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
38 (BD)Egypt was glad when they departed,
    for (BE)dread of them had fallen upon it.

39 He (BF)spread a cloud for a covering,
    and fire to give light by night.
40 (BG)They asked, and he (BH)brought quail,
    and gave them (BI)bread from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and (BJ)water gushed out;
    it flowed through (BK)the desert like a river.
42 For he (BL)remembered his holy promise,
    and (BM)Abraham, his servant.

43 So he brought his people out with joy,
    his (BN)chosen ones with (BO)singing.
44 And he (BP)gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil,
45 that they might (BQ)keep his statutes
    and (BR)observe his laws.
(BS)Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 105:16 Hebrew staff
  2. Psalm 105:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome instruct
  3. Psalm 105:28 Septuagint, Syriac omit not

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