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Philemon 14–16

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14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be uby compulsion but of your own accord. 15For this perhaps is why vhe was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16wno longer as a bondservant3 but more than a bondservant, as xa beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, yboth in the flesh and in the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 3For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see twice in this verse

Cross references

  1. u[2 Cor. 9:7; 1 Pet. 5:2]
  2. v[Gen. 45:5, 8]
  3. wSee 1 Cor. 7:22
  4. xMatt. 23:8; Col. 4:9; 1 Tim. 6:2
  5. yCol. 3:22, 23; [Eph. 6:5]

In other versions

NIVNew International Version (2011)

But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever—no 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 fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

But 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. For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

NLTNew Living Translation

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. It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. 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.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

But apart from your consent, I wanted to do nothing, in order that your good deed might be not as according to necessity, but according to your own free will. For perhaps because of this, he was separated from you for a time, in order that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

KJV 1900King James Version

but without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?