Philemon 14-16

New King James Version

¹⁴But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, ^(A)that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

¹⁵For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, ¹⁶no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the ^(B)flesh and in the Lord.

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Philemon 14-16

English Standard Version

¹⁴but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be ^(A)by compulsion but of your own accord. ¹⁵For this perhaps is why ^(B)he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, ¹⁶^(C)no longer as a bondservant^[a] but more than a bondservant, as ^(D)a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, ^(E)both in the flesh and in the Lord.

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Footnotes

Philemon 1:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; twice in this verse

Philemon 14-16

New International Version

¹⁴But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced^(A) but would be voluntary. ¹⁵Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— ¹⁶no longer as a slave,^(B) but better than a slave, as a dear brother.^(C) He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.