Philemon 1:9-14
New American Standard Bible
10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I fathered in my imprisonment,
11who previously was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
12I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,
13whom I wanted to keep with me, so that in your behalf he might be at my service in my imprisonment for the gospel;
14but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion, but of your own free will.
King James Version
Chapter 1
9Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. 10I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: 11Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: 12Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels: 13Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: 14But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 1
9I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, 10appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I became his father while I was in chains. 11Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. 12I am sending him back to you—I am sending my very own heart. 13I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. 14But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will.New Living Translation
English Standard Version
Chapter 1
9yet for love 's sake I prefer to appeal to you — I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus — 10I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, 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.) 12I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.New International Version
Chapter 1
9yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you.
13I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.
14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.
New King James Version
Chapter 1
9yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— 10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, 11who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.
12I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,
13whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.
14But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.
