Greetings from Paul and Timothy (Philippians 1:1–2; Colossians 1:1–2)
1 UDB I, Paul, am a prisoner who serves Christ Jesus. I am here with Timothy, our fellow believer. I am writing this letter to you, Philemon, our dear friend and fellow worker. BSB BSB: Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,
2 UDB I am also writing to Apphia, our fellow believer, and to Archippus, who is like a soldier who serves along with us. And I am writing to the group of believers that meets in your house. BSB BSB: to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:
3 UDB I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to act kindly toward you all. I pray that he will continue to cause you to have peace. BSB BSB: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon’s Faith and Love 4 UDB When I pray for you, I always thank God BSB BSB: I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,
5 UDB because I keep hearing about how you trust in the Lord Jesus. I also hear about how you keep on loving and helping all the believers. BSB BSB: because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
6 UDB Because you trust in Christ the same as we do, I pray that you may be able to know every good thing that we have to give you regarding Christ. BSB BSB: I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.
7 UDB I have greatly rejoiced and have much courage because you, my dear friend, have been loving God's people and helping them. BSB BSB: I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus 8 UDB So I want to ask you to do something. Because I am an apostle of Christ, I am completely confident that I have the authority to command you to do what you should do. BSB BSB: So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,
9 UDB But because I know that you love God's people, I request this instead of commanding you to do it. It is I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner because I serve Christ Jesus, who am requesting it. BSB BSB: I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.
10 UDB I request that you do something for Onesimus. He is now like a son of mine because I told him about Christ here in prison. BSB BSB: I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.
11 UDB Although his name, as you know, means "useful," he was useless to you in the past. But now he is useful both to you and to me! BSB BSB: Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12 UDB Although he is very dear to me, I am sending him back to you. BSB BSB: I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.
13 UDB I would like to have kept him with me so that he might serve me in your place. I need him because I am in prison because of my preaching the message about Christ. BSB BSB: I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.
14 UDB However, because I had not yet asked you and you had not yet permitted me to keep him here with me, I decided not to keep him here. I decided that you should help me only if you really want to help me. BSB BSB: But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.
17 UDB So if you believe that you and I are doing God's work together, welcome him as you would welcome me. BSB BSB: So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.
18 UDB If he has done you any kind of harm, or if he is in debt to you, let me take the responsibility for that. BSB BSB: But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.
19 UDB I, Paul, am now writing this in my own handwriting: I will repay you what he owes you. I could say to you that you owe me even more than Onesimus owes you because what I told you saved your own life. BSB BSB: I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
20 UDB Indeed, my brother, let me benefit from you because of the Lord. Since we are both joined to Christ, make my heart glad. BSB BSB: Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 UDB I have written this letter to you because I am sure that you will do what I am asking you to do. In fact, I know that you will do even more than what I am asking you to do. BSB BSB: Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 UDB Also, get a guest room ready for me to stay in because I confidently expect that as a result of your prayers for me I will be released from prison and will come to you all. BSB BSB: In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
Additional Greetings 23 UDB Epaphras, who is suffering with me in prison because he is joined to Christ Jesus, sends his greetings to you. BSB BSB: Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,
24 UDB Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, who are my other fellow workers, also send their greetings to you. BSB BSB: as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 UDB I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to be kind to you. BSB BSB: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.