Philemon 1:11
9 Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:
13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
- KJV
- Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
- WEB
- who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.
- ASV
- who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me:
- DARBY
- once unserviceable to thee, but now serviceable to thee and to me:
- BLB
- the one once useless to you, but now useful both to you and to me,
- ÅB
- Tidligere var han unyttig for deg, men nå er han nyttig både for deg og for meg. Han sender jeg tilbake til deg.
- OTB
- Han var tidligere ubrukelig for deg, men nå er han nyttig både for deg og for meg.
- B1930
- som fordum var unyttig for dig, men nu er nyttig for dig og for mig, han som jeg sender tilbake til dig.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
Read in contextJob 30:1–2
But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
Read in context1 Peter 2:10
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Read in contextLuke 15:32
It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
Read in contextRomans 3:12
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Read in contextMatthew 25:30
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Read in contextLuke 17:10
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Read in contextLuke 15:24
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Read in context