Philemon

New International Version

¹Paul, a prisoner^(A) of Christ Jesus, and Timothy^(B) our brother,^(C)

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker^(D)— ²also to Apphia our sister and Archippus^(E) our fellow soldier^(F)—and to the church that meets in your home:^(G)

³Grace and peace to you^[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(H)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

⁴I always thank my God^(I) as I remember you in my prayers,^(J) ⁵because I hear about your love for all his holy people^(K) and your faith in the Lord Jesus.^(L) ⁶I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. ⁷Your love has given me great joy and encouragement,^(M) because you, brother, have refreshed^(N) the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

⁸Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, ⁹yet I prefer to appeal to you^(O) on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner^(P) of Christ Jesus— ¹⁰that I appeal to you for my son^(Q) Onesimus,^[b]^(R) who became my son while I was in chains.^(S) ¹¹Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

¹²I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. ¹³I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains^(T) for the gospel. ¹⁴But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced^(U) but would be voluntary. ¹⁵Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— ¹⁶no longer as a slave,^(V) but better than a slave, as a dear brother.^(W) He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

¹⁷So if you consider me a partner,^(X) welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.^(Y) ¹⁹I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand.^(Z) I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh^(AA) my heart in Christ. ²¹Confident^(AB) of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

²²And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be^(AC) restored to you in answer to your prayers.^(AD)

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

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

Footnotes

Philemon 1:3 The Greek is plural; also in verses 22 and 25; elsewhere in this letter “you” is singular.
Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful.

Proverbs 6

New International Version

Warnings Against Folly

6 My son,^(A) if you have put up security^(B) for your neighbor,^(C)
    if you have shaken hands in pledge^(D) for a stranger,
²you have been trapped by what you said,
    ensnared by the words of your mouth.
³So do this, my son, to free yourself,
    since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:
Go—to the point of exhaustion—^[a]
    and give your neighbor no rest!
⁴Allow no sleep to your eyes,
    no slumber to your eyelids.^(E)
⁵Free yourself, like a gazelle^(F) from the hand of the hunter,^(G)
    like a bird from the snare of the fowler.^(H)

⁶Go to the ant, you sluggard;^(I)
    consider its ways and be wise!
⁷It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
⁸yet it stores its provisions in summer^(J)
    and gathers its food at harvest.^(K)

⁹How long will you lie there, you sluggard?^(L)
    When will you get up from your sleep?
¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest^(M)—
¹¹and poverty^(N) will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.

¹²A troublemaker and a villain,
    who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
¹³    who winks maliciously with his eye,^(O)
    signals with his feet
    and motions with his fingers,^(P)
¹⁴    who plots evil^(Q) with deceit in his heart—
    he always stirs up conflict.^(R)
¹⁵Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;^(S)
    he will suddenly^(T) be destroyed—without remedy.^(U)

¹⁶There are six things the Lord hates,^(V)
    seven that are detestable to him:
¹⁷        haughty eyes,^(W)
        a lying tongue,^(X)
        hands that shed innocent blood,^(Y)
¹⁸        a heart that devises wicked schemes,
        feet that are quick to rush into evil,^(Z)
¹⁹        a false witness^(AA) who pours out lies^(AB)
        and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.^(AC)

Warning Against Adultery

²⁰My son,^(AD) keep your father’s command
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.^(AE)
²¹Bind them always on your heart;
    fasten them around your neck.^(AF)
²²When you walk, they will guide you;
    when you sleep, they will watch over you;
    when you awake, they will speak to you.
²³For this command is a lamp,
    this teaching is a light,^(AG)
and correction and instruction
    are the way to life,^(AH)
²⁴keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,
    from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.^(AI)

²⁵Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.

²⁶For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,
    but another man’s wife preys on your very life.^(AJ)
²⁷Can a man scoop fire into his lap
    without his clothes being burned?
²⁸Can a man walk on hot coals
    without his feet being scorched?
²⁹So is he who sleeps^(AK) with another man’s wife;^(AL)
    no one who touches her will go unpunished.

³⁰People do not despise a thief if he steals
    to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
³¹Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,^(AM)
    though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
³²But a man who commits adultery^(AN) has no sense;^(AO)
    whoever does so destroys himself.
³³Blows and disgrace are his lot,
    and his shame will never^(AP) be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy^(AQ) arouses a husband’s fury,^(AR)
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
³⁵He will not accept any compensation;
he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.^(AS)