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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Philemon 1 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/philemon/1.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/philemon/1-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > Philemon 1</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../titus/3.htm" title="Titus 3">◄</a> Philemon 1 <a href="../hebrews/1.htm" title="Hebrews 1">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/philemon/1.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">Greetings from Paul</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.</p><p class="reg">I am writing to Philemon, our beloved co-worker, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>and to our sister Apphia, and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that meets in your<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a> house.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.</p><p class="hdg">Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.</p><p class="hdg">Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a></p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Onesimus<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">c</span></a> hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span><span class="sc">I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it. And I won’t mention that you owe me your very soul</span>!</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Yes, my brother, please do me this favor<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">d</span></a> for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more! <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>One more thing—please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon.</p><p class="hdg">Paul’s Final Greetings</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/philemon/1-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">2 </span><span class="ft">Throughout this letter, </span><span class="it">you</span><span class="ft"> and </span><span class="it">your</span><span class="ft"> are singular except in verses 3, 22, and 25.</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">9 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="it">a prisoner of Christ Jesus.</span><br><span class="fn">c</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">11 </span><span class="it">Onesimus</span><span class="ft"> means “useful.”</span><br><span class="fn">d</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">20 </span><span class="ft">Greek </span><span class="it">onaimen,</span><span class="ft"> a play on the name Onesimus.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. 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