Paulus
Paul's Letter to Philemon about the Slave Onesimus
Paul writes from prison to Philemon, asking him to welcome back the runaway slave Onesimus—not as a slave anymore, but as a dear brother in Christ.
Filemonbrevet 1,1-25
1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker,
Παῦλος δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς Φιλήμονι τῷ ἀγαπητῷ καὶ συνεργῷ ἡμῶν
2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your house:
καὶ Ἀπφίᾳ τῇ ⸀ἀδελφῇ καὶ Ἀρχίππῳ τῷ συστρατιώτῃ ἡμῶν καὶ τῇ κατʼ οἶκόν σου ἐκκλησίᾳ·
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
4I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers,
Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ μου πάντοτε μνείαν σου ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου,
5because I keep hearing of your love and of the faith you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.
ἀκούων σου τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἣν ἔχεις ⸀πρὸς τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους,
6I pray that the fellowship of your faith may be effective as you come to know every good thing that is ours for the sake of Christ.
ὅπως ἡ κοινωνία τῆς πίστεώς σου ἐνεργὴς γένηται ἐν ἐπιγνώσει παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ ⸀τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν εἰς ⸀Χριστόν·
7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because through you, brother, the hearts of the saints have been refreshed.
⸀χαρὰν γὰρ ⸂πολλὴν ἔσχον⸃ καὶ παράκλησιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγάπῃ σου, ὅτι τὰ σπλάγχνα τῶν ἁγίων ἀναπέπαυται διὰ σοῦ, ἀδελφέ.
8For this reason, although in Christ I could be bold enough to order you to do what is proper,
Διό, πολλὴν ἐν Χριστῷ παρρησίαν ἔχων ἐπιτάσσειν σοι τὸ ἀνῆκον,
9I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love. I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus,
διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην μᾶλλον παρακαλῶ, τοιοῦτος ὢν ὡς Παῦλος πρεσβύτης νυνὶ δὲ καὶ δέσμιος ⸂Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ⸃—
10appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became while in chains.
παρακαλῶ σε περὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ τέκνου, ὃν ἐγέννησα ἐν τοῖς ⸀δεσμοῖς Ὀνήσιμον,
11Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.*
*The name Onesimus means "useful" or "profitable"; Paul is playing on his name here.
τόν ποτέ σοι ἄχρηστον νυνὶ ⸀δὲ σοὶ καὶ ἐμοὶ εὔχρηστον,
12I am sending him back to you—and with him my very heart.
ὃν ἀνέπεμψά ⸂σοι αὐτόν, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν τὰ ἐμὰ σπλάγχνα⸃·
13I would have liked to keep him with me, so that he might serve me in your place while I am in chains for the gospel.
ὃν ἐγὼ ἐβουλόμην πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν κατέχειν, ἵνα ὑπὲρ σοῦ ⸂μοι διακονῇ⸃ ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου,
14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your kindness would not be forced but voluntary.
χωρὶς δὲ τῆς σῆς γνώμης οὐδὲν ἠθέλησα ποιῆσαι, ἵνα μὴ ὡς κατὰ ἀνάγκην τὸ ἀγαθόν σου ᾖ ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἑκούσιον·
15Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while: so that you might have him back forever,
τάχα γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐχωρίσθη πρὸς ὥραν ἵνα αἰώνιον αὐτὸν ἀπέχῃς,
16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave—as a dear brother. He is very dear to me, but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.
οὐκέτι ὡς δοῦλον ἀλλὰ ὑπὲρ δοῦλον, ἀδελφὸν ἀγαπητόν, μάλιστα ἐμοί, πόσῳ δὲ μᾶλλον σοὶ καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ ἐν κυρίῳ.
17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
Εἰ οὖν με ἔχεις κοινωνόν, προσλαβοῦ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐμέ.
18And if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.
εἰ δέ τι ἠδίκησέν σε ἢ ὀφείλει, τοῦτο ἐμοὶ ⸀ἐλλόγα·
19I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
ἐγὼ Παῦλος ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί, ἐγὼ ἀποτίσω· ἵνα μὴ λέγω σοι ὅτι καὶ σεαυτόν μοι προσοφείλεις.
20Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
ναί, ἀδελφέ, ἐγώ σου ὀναίμην ἐν κυρίῳ· ἀνάπαυσόν μου τὰ σπλάγχνα ἐν ⸀Χριστῷ.
21I write to you confident of your obedience, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
πεποιθὼς τῇ ὑπακοῇ σου ἔγραψά σοι, εἰδὼς ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ ⸀ἃ λέγω ποιήσεις.
22And one more thing: prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἑτοίμαζέ μοι ξενίαν, ἐλπίζω γὰρ ὅτι διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν.
23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,
⸀Ἀσπάζεταί σε Ἐπαφρᾶς ὁ συναιχμάλωτός μου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,
24and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
Μᾶρκος, Ἀρίσταρχος, Δημᾶς, Λουκᾶς, οἱ συνεργοί μου.
25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.*
*"Your" here is plural, addressing the whole household and church.
Ἡ χάρις τοῦ ⸀κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ⸀ὑμῶν.