Philemon 8-17

Disciples’ Literal New Testament

I Appeal To You For Onesimus, Your Slave And Our Beloved Brother

⁸ Therefore, [although] having much boldness in Christ to be commanding you to do the fitting thing, ⁹ for the sake of love I am rather appealing— being such a one as Paul, an old-man^[a], and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus. ¹⁰ I am appealing to you concerning my child whom I fathered in my imprisonment, Onesimus, ¹¹ the one formerly useless^[b] to you but now useful both to you and to me, ¹² whom I sent-back to you (him! That is, my own deep-feelings^[c]!), ¹³ whom I was wishing to hold-back with myself in order that on behalf of you he might be serving me in my imprisonment for the good-news. ¹⁴ But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, in order that your good deed should not be as-if based-on^[d] compulsion^[e], but based-on willingness^[f]. ¹⁵ For perhaps for this reason he was separated for an hour: in order that you might receive him in full forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but beyond a slave, a beloved brother— especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord!

Accept Him As Me, And Charge His Debts To My Account

¹⁷ Therefore if you hold me as a partner, accept him as me.