⁷ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement,^(A) because you, brother, have refreshed^(B) the hearts of the Lord’s people.

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^(C) on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner^(D) of Christ Jesus— ¹⁰ that I appeal to you for my son^(E) Onesimus,^[a](F) who became my son while I was in chains.^{(G) 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^(H) 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^(I) but would be voluntary. ¹⁵ Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— ¹⁶ no longer as a slave,^(J) but better than a slave, as a dear brother.^(K) He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you consider me a partner,^(L) welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.^{(M) 19} I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand.^(N) I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰ I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh^(O) my heart in Christ.

The Coming of the Kingdom of God^(A)

²⁰ Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come,^(B) Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, ²¹ nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’^(C) because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”^[a]

²² Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man,^(D) but you will not see it.^{(E) 23} People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them.^{(F) 24} For the Son of Man in his day^[b] will be like the lightning,^(G) which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. ²⁵ But first he must suffer many things^(H) and be rejected^(I) by this generation.^(J)