Philemon
King James Version
1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,
2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
3 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,
5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
8 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,
9 Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:
13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
15 For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;
16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?
17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
19 I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.
21 Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
22 But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.
23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
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.
Philemon
English Standard Version
Greeting
1 Paul, (A)a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and (B)Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and (C)Archippus our (D)fellow soldier, and (E)the church in your house:
3 (F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon's Love and Faith
4 (G)I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I (H)hear of your love and (I)of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 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] 7 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
8 Accordingly, (M)though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do (N)what is required, 9 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
- Philemon 1:6 Or for Christ's service
- Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful (see verse 11) or beneficial (see verse 20)
- Philemon 1:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; twice in this verse
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.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.